The holy monastery of Saint Mark the Evangelist in Proti, Florina, Western Macedonia, was founded in 1864 by Metropolitan Meletios of Moglena. It is built on the mountain range of Barnous, at an altitude of 959 meters and it lies 10 minutes far from Florina.

During the Greek Struggle in Macedonia, the monastery became the refuge of Greek chieftains. Often in its hostels were accommodated Greek heroes, such as Pavlos Melas, Lakis Pirzas et.al. After the area’s liberation from Turkish domination, the monastery buildings were extended, but its prosperity stopped abruptly with the beginning of the World War II.

Later on, the Greek Civil War battles impaired the function of the monastery and all its buildings were completedly destroyed by bombing, resulting in the abandonment of the monastery by its small sisterhood.

In the post-war era, the humble and picturesque chapel of Saint Mark became a restroom for naturalist travelers of Florina. The older people can remember the shady big trees, which surrounded it, and the fount with its cold running water.

In the mid-2000’s the holy monastery of Saint Mark the Evangelist was reestablished by His Eminence Metropolitan Theocletos. A new edifice has been built, the Catholicon was entirely renovated and the surroundings were spectacularly landscaped.

The convent functions as a cenobium with three nuns and it attracts a great crowd of faithful, who attend the services and venerate the relics of Saint Mark and his mother Maria.

Tel.: (+30) 2385037944