The Monastery of Saint John the Forerunner is 7 miles away from the city of Serres, in Northern Greece. The monastery was founded by Saint Ioannikios, an athonite monk, at the end of the 13th Century.

The Serbian armies partially destroyed the monastery in 1345.

Saint Gennadius Scholarius, Patriarch of Constantinople, retired here between 1457 and 1462. The school of the Monastery was famous and the library was so rich in manuscripts that the monastery was called "of the Grammarians".

In 1917, the Bulgarian Army pillaged the monastery, stealing over 200 manuscripts, 1800 old printed books and other treasures, now found in museums all over Europe.

After the Second World War, the monastery became deserted. It got repopulated by nuns in 1986. In 2010, part of it burned to the ground. The reconstruction work still continues to day.

Pavilion with old fountain with holy water, now serving as flowerpot

Old inscription

Old relief

There are many springs redirected to the monastery courtyard

The main church (the katholikon) is devoted to Saint John the Forerunner

The narthex of the katholikon

The narthex of the katholikon. Carved detail.

The narthex

Postbyzantine fresco from the narthex: The Life giving Spring

Postbyzantine fresco: The Last Judgement

The entrance to the nave

Inside the main church

Jesus Christ the Saviour, icon fom the iconostasis

Mother of God, icon fom the iconostasis

Fresco from the main church

Christ before Pontius Pilate, fresco from the main church

The Burial of Christ, fresco from the main church

Saints Archangels Michael and Gabriel, old tempera on wood

The courtyard behind the main church

The bell tower

The bell tower. The horologe

A smaller church

Another small church

In front of a kelli

Old doors

Unrestored area

Area under restoration

The courtyard

The museum of the monastery is rich, despise the pillage of 1917

Ecclesiastical items from the museum

Lampads

Old kitchenware

More kitchenware

Bells and cowbells

Old chests and flatirons

Bakery tools

The main entrance of the monastery

The monastery can be visited for free, everyday from 8:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 19:00