|
|
View Nestani from Space (High resolution Images) (on the hill Monastery of Panagia) Nestani (Νεστάνη) or Tsipiana (Τσιπιανά) is a small village around 15 km from Tripolis in the Peloponnese. It used to be the center of manufacturing brooms. A famous monastery overlooking the village is dedicated and venerates the Holy Mother of God, Παναγία, Panagia, who, is said to have saved the village from utter destruction, by stopping a huge bolder ominously heading toward the village. A facsimile of a large hand could be deciphered on the side of the bolder facing the village, is attributed to be that of the Holy Mother, and was visible as late as the 1940's. The monastery was manned by monks, notable among them were; the eccentric (Παρθένιος)Parthenios and (Φιλίμον)Filimon as well as the saintly priest (Βενιαμήν)Benjamin. Ιt is now inhabited by nuns. The monastery venerates the memory of the Holy Mother on the anniversary of Her Dormission, each August 15. The monastery is called (Μονή Παναγίας Γοργοεπίκοου) Gorgoepikοos (37° 36' 33" N; 22° 28' 18" E) - facilitator to speedier and easier childbirth. It is built on the ruins of the Temple of Demeter. At its height of population there were well over 5000 people living there but now with the move to the cities there are less than 500 permanent residents. Nestani is in the center of Arcadia and is very close to an ancient ruin called Mantinia. The people of Nestani are thought to be descendants of the Mantinians who fled Mantinea after an invasion of snakes. They went to the mountains and the village of Nestani was born. They were called Tsipianides but then took the name Nestani after the emancipation from Turkish rule. Nestani since the 1980s is linked with the superhighway linking Tripoli and Athens (E65) and links with GR-33), The 2 km long Artemisi Tunnel also opened in the 1980s lies north northwest of Nestani and has a rest area near the tunnel. Pine forests covers the southern and a small portion north of town, the rest of the area are mainly of rocks and grasslands. Farmlands are situated in the southwest that connects with the rest of the plain. Geography and information Location:
Postal code: 281 00 Elevation:
Dialing code: +11+(00)30-2710 Historical population Year Population Change 1981 1,131 - 1991 881 -250/-22.10% 2001 778 -103/11.69%
Nestani Satellite image Other Nestani has a school in the western part and nearby a basketball court, a lyceum, a church, a post office, banks and a small square (plateia). Links Google Earth screen shots of Nestani Map and aerial photos:
Coordinates: 38°27′24″N, 20°36′34″E See also:
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
