Meteora is a complex of dark rocks, in the form of steep peaks with a height of up to 200 meters and a width of up to 300 meters while the average altitude is 313 meters. The monasteries of Meteora, built on the tops of these rocks, are today the second most important monastic complex in Greece, after Mount Athos. Of the thirty monasteries that have existed historically, only six are in operation today, which, since 1988, are included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Meteora is located on the northwestern border of the Thessalian plain while the wild and inaccessible landscape was for many years a suitable ground and refuge for the Christian ascetics who settled in the area in a date that is not exactly known. According to various historians, the inhabitation of Meteora began before the 11th century. Other historical sources, however, mention Barnabas as the first ascetic who founded the very old Hermitage of the Holy Spirit around 950-970 AD. This was followed by the founding of the Transfiguration (1020) by a Cretan monk Andronikos and in 1160 the Sketi Stagon or Doupiani was founded.

After 200 years the ascetic Barlaam founded the Monastery of the Three Hierarchs and All Saints and later unknown priests created the Monasteries of Agia Triados, Agios Stefanos, Ypapantis, Rousanos or Arsanos, Agios Georgios of Mandis , Our Lady of Mycenae, Saint Theodore, Saint Nicholas of Bandova, Saint Apostles, Saint Gregory, Saint Anthony, Pantocrator, Saint Moni, Prodromos, Monastery of the Most High, or Calligraphon, Modestus, Alyse , Apostolos Petros, Agios Dimitrios, Kallistratos, Taxiarchon and Ioannou Bounilas.

The name Meteora is attributed to the owner of the monastery of Megalo Meteoro, Agios Athanasios the Meteorite, who named “Meteoro” the Flat Stone to which he first climbed in 1344.

In general, the monastic life in Meteora declined during the years of decline and fall of the Byzantine Empire and the consequent Ottoman conquest of Thessaly in 1393. However, from the end of the 15th century and especially in the 16th century, Meteora experienced its greatest prosperity, as New monasteries, catholic and monastic buildings are founded, which are decorated with unparalleled art paintings. Over time this monastic state began to strengthen with monks to reach the peak of its prosperity around the 17th century

However, from this time the decline begins, with the result that today only the monasteries of Metamorphosis, Barlaam, Agios Nikolaos of Anapafsas, Rousanos, Agia Triados and Agios Stefanos operate, as well as some parts of some others, while the the rest have disappeared.

Meteora, due to their morphology, offered during the Turkish occupation an ideal refuge for monasticism and saved cultural monuments and works of post-Byzantine art. At the beginning of the 19th century many monasteries were looted by the army of Ali Pasha.

In the 1920s, ladders and tunnels were carved into the rocks, making the monasteries accessible from the neighboring plateau, and so the traditional method of communicating and supplying the monasteries with escalators, ropes, pulleys and baskets was gradually abandoned.