The Monastery of Agios Philimons is located in the southwest of the island, near the village of Arnitha. In this place was the temple of the god Apollo and then a Byzantine monastery (destroyed by an earthquake) from which various architectural elements are preserved (marble capitals, altars). The current monastery is post-Byzantine with a main church, a two-story bell tower with a base, cells and guest houses. The church, dedicated to Saint Philemon, is of Dodecanese type with cross vaults, hollow tiles and propylon. Saint Philemon (1st century AD) was a disciple of the Apostle Paul who was martyred during the reign of Nero, in 65 AD. His memory is commemorated on November 22. Among the sacred relics of the Monastery, the following are preserved to this day: the iconostasis of the old Monastery, the Saint's sword, the sacral bone (part of the shoulder blade), manuscript Gospel of 1619 and the miraculous icon of the Saint depicting him as a young man, in uniform and with the Gospel in his hand. The Monastery today is dissolved, but celebrates annually on July 21.
Editor: Niki Kalopaidis