Just three kilometers west of Sykea Elassona, the Holy Monastery of the Analispeos of Sotiros (Ascension of the Savior) is an important religious and historical destination in northern Thessaly. Although it bears the name of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, it celebrates the Ascension, linking its presence to deep spiritual roots. Founded in the 17th century by the monks Ioakeim, Ioannis, and Dionysios, the monastery was a beacon of faith and resistance during the ottoman occupation.
The monastery’s katholicon is cruciform with an impressive octagonal dome and houses an exquisitely carved wooden iconostasis and frescoes from 1650 depicting scenes from the divine liturgy and figures of saints. Inside the narthex, the small holy spring with its well, which according to tradition was filled only on the monastery’s feast day, still attracts many faithful today. Since 1988, a women’s sisterhood has been zealously continuing the restoration and spiritual life of the Monastery of Analipseos of Sotiros, keeping alive the religious imprint of the area.
