The Holy Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior in Prasinada is located at an altitude of 750 meters, 19 kilometers from Paranesti, Drama, and 1 kilometer from the village of Prasinada.
It is built on a high rock with the Haidou mountain range to the east, which forms the natural border between Macedonia and Thrace. The imposing landscape surrounding the holy monastery consists of rocky peaks and ravines with waterfalls and tributaries of the Nestos River, leading many to refer to it as the Meteora of Drama or Macedonia.
It is worth noting that on one of these rocks there is another small hermitage dedicated to Saint Christina the Great Martyr, where the elder Christina lived as a nun until her death in 2012
The landscape of the area is reminiscent of the mountainous interior of Pontus, and the rock above Prasinada resembles the rock on Mount Pyrgi in Trebizond, on which the historic monastery of Agios Georgios Peristerota is built. From 1923 onwards, refugees from Pontus who settled in Prasinada saw a heavenly light on the rock but could not explain it. From 1990 onwards, some of them began to have dreams about the history of the rock, about which nothing was known until then. These dreams were accompanied by discoveries of fragments of clay pots, incense burners, spears, and the foundations of an ancient temple.
These findings confirmed the sanctity of the site, documenting the existence of a small monastery dating back to the fifth century AD, which was destroyed over time. At the same time, there have been accounts according to which residents who worshipped these findings became recipients of their miraculous powers.
On the feast day of the Transfiguration of Christ in 1993, the first festive celebration took place in the courtyard of the monastery, as according to revelations, the old monastery was dedicated to the Transfiguration of Christ. In 1994, the foundation stone of the church of the same name was laid on the rocky peak by the late Metropolitan Dionysius of Drama, and on August 6, 2017, the magnificent katholikon of the holy monastery was inaugurated by the late Metropolitan of Drama, Mr. Pavlos.
Today, thanks to the initiative and goodwill of our metropolitan, Mr. Dorotheos, the holy monastery has been repopulated with monks, and with the help and love of the local authorities and devout Christians, its further reconstruction is progressing.
Seeing the beauty of this blessed place, we remember the Gospel’s call to look at the birds of the sky and the lilies of the field, and seeing these, to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness. If we find these, we will have everything.
The text is from the Holy Moni
