One of the most famous and revered Orthodox shrines of Greece, of course, is the Byzantine monastery of Osios Lucas. Holy Monastery is located in an incredibly beautiful location on the slopes of Mount Helikon, near the settlement of Distomo and about 20 km from the capital of the nome Boeotia - the city of Livadia. Monastery Osios Lucas was founded in the first half of the 10th century the Rev. Luke Stiriotom, whose relics still kept in the monastery.

The oldest construction of the monastery complex is the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary (earlier - the church of St. Barbara), the construction of which was begun during the life of St. Luke. The construction of a cross-domed church with four columns trehkonhovoy apse and topped with a dome on sails. Of particular interest are the cladding of external walls (made in the so-called "mixed media" using red brick, white stone and marble) and the interior of the temple, which have survived carved capitals, openwork lace cornices, marble floors and frescoes.

On the south side of the church of the Blessed Virgin adjoins the main KATHOLIKON Monastery - the Church of St. Luke (XI century). This cross-domed church octagonal shape with a round-trip in the upper tier. The dome rests on Tromp, but in its drum has 16 small windows. The outer walls are lined with white stone plinth and using a variety of marble inserts, which, combined with double and triple arcaded windows of the temple gives a certain elegance. There is no doubt impressive and the interior of the temple. Individual attention vaulted narthex, decorated with unique antique mosaics and colored marble, as well as superb mosaics and frescoes nave and apse.

Among other buildings of the monastery refectory is worth noting, which today houses the Museum of Byzantine Art, and the tower - the only surviving of the three towers of the monastery. The monastery also has a variety of outbuildings and cells.

Monastery Osios Lucas perfectly preserved to this day and is one of the most important monuments of Byzantine architecture. In 1990 the monastery of Osios Lucas, along with such famous shrines like Greek Nea Moni and Daphne entered the UNESCO World Heritage List.