Holy Monastery of St. George Mandilas
Driving towards the Monastery of St. Nicholas from Kastraki, you can find the monastery of St. George Mandilas, built inside the rock like a small cave. Each year on its celebration day, 23rd April, men climb up and change the headscarves from the previous year and put new ones. It is believed these scarves make miracles.
The monastery is from the 14th century, 30 meters from the ground. It is situated on the western side of the rock of ”Agio Pnevma” (Holy Spirit), only 4-5 meters wide and around 15 meters long.
During the turkish occupation, a Turk soldier cut some wood from the surrounding forest knowing this is not allowed, and at once dropped dead.
The Turkish authority found the soldier dead and wanted to punish the killer. They called all the Greek men to the main square, but nobody admitted to the crime. As the officials were getting very angry, a voice was heard from the Monastery saying that no man killed the soldier, but St. George punished him, but if they make a offering to the Saint he will arise again. At once a woman of one of the officials offered her headcovering.
Then a man of Kastraki raised the headscarve to the monastery, and as soon as the abbot hung it on the icon of the saint, the Turk stood up health and strong, and so the tradition started.
