Protection status

Meteora has been recognized for its Christian, historical, architectural, iconographic, cultural and geological value as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and other international organizations, for example, the World Heritage Convention held in Paris (21 November 1972), the European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage held in London (6 May 1969) and the Convention for the Protection of the Architectural Heritage of Europe held in Granada on 3 October 1985 among others.

Since 1995 the entire area was declared by Greek law (2531/11.10.1995) to be ‘a sacred site, unchangeable and inviolable’, following a decision in 1990 by the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece. This ensured the unique Orthodox spirituality and effective protection of Meteora and precluded inappropriate behaviour and activity on the sacred site.