Everyone who wants to relax with their family on a very beautiful coast surrounded by beautiful landscapes comes to this amazing place.
Mount Tsambika
An ennobled, winding path with numbered steps leads to this picturesque mountain 240 meters above sea level. Everyone who wants to climb to the top of Tsambika will have to overcome three hundred steps. It would seem that it is not very high, but in the summer heat it is quite tiring to climb.
Throughout the path, very comfortable benches are installed, on which you can relax in the shade. Climbing uphill, travelers have the opportunity to enjoy beautiful views. And from its top, such beauties open that breathtaking.
The mountain is famous primarily for the temple located here, in addition, it overlooks the magnificent beach of Tsambika (Rhodes). We’ll talk about him now.
Tsambika Beach (Rhodes)
It is considered one of the most beautiful beaches of the island. It extends for 800 meters between the mountain capes. The beach is covered with delicate golden sand, but small pebbles come across. Tsambika (Rhodes) is perfectly equipped for a comfortable holiday by the sea. All the little things are thought out here, so that vacationers enjoy the wonderful nature and not think about everyday problems.
On a fairly large territory, a huge number of sun loungers, umbrellas are installed, it is possible to rent everything you need for water and beach sports. The smooth entry into the water and shallow depth make this beach an ideal place for families with children of any age to relax.
Numerous beach taverns offer refreshing drinks, Greek specialties and a wide variety of fruits. Lovers of more active activities can enjoy water sports.
Tsambika (Rhodes) is a fairly wide beach. Therefore, here you can not only play beach volleyball, but also ride a quad bike. If you drive towards Rhodes, to the village of Afandou, you can visit a good golf club. Farther away is the noisy and lively Faliraki with a magnificent water park and a very good amusement park. And if you walk along the sea in the opposite direction, you can visit the town of Lindos, known for its ancient acropolis and magnificent landscapes. As you can see, Tsambika beach (Rhodes) guarantees an excellent vacation for families with children and fun youth companies.
Monastery
25 km south of the eponymous capital of the magnificent island, next to the small village of Archangelos, is the world-famous Tsambika Monastery (Rhodes). It stores the holy relic for all residents of Greece - the miraculous icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The patroness of all couples, and especially childless, is the Virgin Mary Tsambika. Rhodes became the place where the phenomenon of the holy icon was, thanks to which the monastery was built.
History of the cloister
The name of the monastery comes from the word tsamba , which translates as "flash, spark." According to legend, once the inhabitants of the island saw a bright sparkling light at the very top of the mountain. They went up to him, and in their eyes appeared in the branches of a tree a very small, slightly larger than a palm, icon of the Virgin, framed in a silver setting. A little later it became clear that this is a relic that disappeared in Cyprus from one monastery.
Repeatedly the islanders tried to return the holy relic, but the icon in some surprising way returned to the top of the mountain. Local residents could not say with certainty that the same icon was returning to them, so after its next appearance on the back, they burned a small speck. By the way, it has survived today, although not everyone has been given a chance to see it, since the icon is in salary.
This amazing miracle happened in the 15th century. The inhabitants of the island took this phenomenon as a divine sign and decided to build a temple here in honor of the Virgin. The icon found on the mountain is called Panagia Tsambika (Virgin of Tsambika). Later it was moved down, because not everyone could overcome the difficult path to the monastery to bow to the shrine. So on top of a picturesque mountain appeared a small church of Tsambika (Rhodes), which is very well preserved to this day.
Monastery construction
Much later, at the foot of the mountain, the monastery of the Virgin of Tsambika was built - an unusually beautiful, majestic snow-white temple. Particular solemnity was given to him by red tiles and a high bell tower. Today it is here that the miraculous shrine is stored. Every year thousands of pilgrims from all over the world come to bow to her and ask for help.
At the top of the hill, in the temple, there is a large copy of the shrine, and its original is raised only in September, when the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin is celebrated.
Rite of passage
The Monastery of the Virgin, without any doubt, is one of the main attractions of the island and its shrine. Women from all over the world who have lost all hope of experiencing the joy of motherhood come here for help.
Tourists are usually brought to the top of the hill, and women go on foot to it. They need to overcome three hundred steps and several rather long transitions.
During the long journey, women read prayers all the time, and the most desperate overcome the whole journey on their knees. Climbing to the top, the pilgrims set fire to a small wick located on the head of a wax figurine. When the figure burns out, they swallow the cinder, washed down with consecrated olive oil. According to the ministers of the monastery, the bulk of women suffering from many years of infertility, usually after nine months, rejoice in the birth of their first child.
We have already said that on the top of the hill, in the chapel of Moni Tsambika, a copy of the icon is stored, its original is in the monastery of Tsambika, below. On the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin (September 8), the icon is raised in the temple. On the night of September 7-8, many women who suffer from infertility gather in the monastery. At this time, the sacrament takes place: a woman is smeared with belly with olive oil, her waist is wrapped with goat hair rope and special words are said that are addressed to the Virgin with a request for help in conception.
After that, all the participants of the ceremony climb the hill, holding a candle in the shape of a baby figurine. After the baby is born, happy parents baptize the baby in this church. Usually a newborn is given a middle name: Tsambika or Tsambikos.
Original Icons
A very small icon of the Virgin in a silver setting, stored in the monastery, is buried in a frame of velvet and gold. Next to her are numerous tiny wax figures similar to very young children. At the altar there are photographs of babies born. Parents leave these pictures dear to their hearts as confirmation of the miraculous power of the icon. Everyone who wants to receive the help of the Virgin Tsambika needs to stock up on faith and willpower.
Tsambika (Rhodes): reviews
Tourists leave a lot of enthusiastic reviews after relaxing on the Tsambika beach. Here, families with children and young and active people feel comfortable.
Especially happy after a trip to Rhodes, women who dreamed of a child. Some of them note that they did not believe in miracles too much. Nevertheless, many of them today raise long-awaited babies. They recommend that anyone who cannot become a mother ask for help from the Virgin Tsambika, and it must be believed that she will certainly help you.