About 15 km from the town of Chios (capital of the island of the same name) on a beautiful hillside among slender cypress trees of the monastery Nea Moni. This is one of the most beautiful and oldest monasteries in Greece, as well as a fine example of magnificent Byzantine architecture.

Nea Moni Monastery was built in the mid 11th century by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine IX Monomakh. According to tradition, the monastery was built on the spot where the three monks - Nikita, John and Joseph - discovered on a branch of a burning myrtle completely intact icon of the Virgin.

For centuries, the monastery Nea Moni was one of the most important religious centers of the Aegean Sea. The extensive land holdings, which owned the monastery and privileges provided prosperity of the monastery and its power. By the end of the 13th century, the monastery lived about 800 monks. The relative prosperity temple existed for a long time, and during the reign of the Ottoman Empire.

Unfortunately, the monastery was badly damaged during the infamous massacre of Chios in 1822. During the massacre, which staged the Turks burned the iconostasis and monastery library and archives. Heavily damaged KATHOLIKON magnificent frescoes and an impressive piece of unique relics of the church was simply stolen. Significant destruction of the monastery and suffered in 1881 during an earthquake.

Today the monastery complex covers an area of ​​about 1, 7 hectares. On its territory is located the main KATHOLIKON two small churches of the Holy Cross and St. Panteleimon, the refectory and the monks' cells. There is the monastery church and a small museum. The walls surrounding the monastery today, were built in the 19th century. Behind the walls of the monastery next to the monastic cemetery is a small chapel of St. Luke.

Special pride of the monastery of Nea Moni is its world-famous stunning Byzantine mosaics. Among the most interesting and well-preserved mosaic compositions is to provide "Epiphany", "Crucifixion", "Descent into Hell", "Descent from the Cross", "Entry into Jerusalem" and the "Washing of the Feet."

Monastery Nea Moni is an important historical and cultural monument of the island of Chios. In 1990 he was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.