Description

The monastery of Ypsilou is an active men's monastery, located in the west part of Lesvos, on the top of Mountain Ordymnos and dedicated to Saint Ioannis(John) Theologos. Tradition places the foundation of the monastery in Byzantine years (before 800 A.D.) and mentions it as "Monastery of Korakas", a name modified to "Monastery of Zisira" in the years of the Ottoman occupation.

Very little information has been saved from the monastery’s Byzantine phase and is believed that it was abandoned and devastated in late Byzantine years. The monastery flourished again in post-Byzantine years but it was destroyed by fire. The existing katholikon (main church) was built in 1832 and constitutes part of a monastic complex, developed around the katholikon.

The monastery has a particularly interesting vestry as well as a library with important manuscripts.