
A short distance outside the village of Elleniko (Lozetsi) in the Katsanokhoria, Ioannina, lies the imposing men’s monastery of Our Lady of Tsouka, one of the most historic and famous monasteries in Epirus. This is the building complex of the monastery, as seen from the gate in the external wall.

Many of the heights in the mountains of Epirus bear the name ‘Tsouka’ which means ‘high peak’. And, as can be seen, the monastery does indeed have a dominant position on a hill.

The main entrance to the monastery. According to tradition, it was built by Emperor Isaakios II Angelos Komninos (1185-1195). This is supported by the inscription above the entrance, which mentions the date 1190.

In the past, the monastery had a great deal of property and under Turkish rule maintained the school in the nearby village of Elleniko. It was also involved in the ‘great uprising’ of 1821.

The monastery lies at a height of 850 m. In the background, the lake and town of Ioannina can be seen.

The poet K. Krystallis (1868-1894), from the village of Syrrako in the wider Tzoumerka region, relates that the monastery’s healing water was in great demand throughout Epirus. In the photo, the springs at the entrance and the traditional vessels.

The middle of the courtyard is dominated by the central church (katholiko) of the monastery. On the right, the cistern with its cover.

The monasteries of Kipina, Iliokali, the Dormition of the Mother of God at Krapsi and Halasmata were dependencies of the monastery.

The building complex of the monastery includes the central church, the bell-tower (from 1866), a chapel to Our Lady, the cistern, cells and auxiliary rooms.

The construction of the main church goes back to the 17th century. It’s made of white, rectangular, hewn stone. The churches of the Dormition of the Mother of God in nearby Plaisia and of Saint Paraskevi in the neighbouring village of Patero were built using a similar technique.

The gilded iconostasis in the main church was built in 1789 and contains the wonder-working icon of Our Lady.

The wall-paintings date from the year 1779 and were probably produced by the priest/icon painter Athanasios Ioannou. The patron of the enterprise appears to have been Alexios Papaioannou.

According to tradition, the icon of Our Most Holy Lady, the Mother of God, was found on the summit of the rock. Out of reverence, the villagers built a chapel a short distance away and placed the icon inside. The next day, it was found back on its original spot on the rock. This was taken to mean that it was the will of Our Lady, and so the monastery was built exactly on the site where the icon had been found.