Holy Monastery of Saints Raphael, Nicholas and Irene

The Holy Monastery of Saint Raphael is located in northeastern Lesvos. It is a two-storey church with impressive murals. The present monastery was built on the site of an Early Christian basilica and dates to the 12th c. AD. It was initially a women’s monastery. In 1235 Saracen pirates attacked the monastery and killed all the nuns. In 1463 Saint Raphael visited the monastery with his friend Nicholas and it became a men’s monastery. The locals revolted against the Turks but failed; they hid in the monastery. Saint Raphael resisted the Turks and they tortured and killed him, his friend, and the mayor’s 12-year-old daughter Irene. They then burned the monastery and left. In 1964 Abbess Evgenia Kleidara built the Monastery of the newly revealed Saints Raphael, Nicholas and Irene. Their relics are kept there. On their martyrdom day, 9 April, a major religious festival takes place.