"By plugging itself into the Great Cave (Mega Spelaeon) from which it takes its name, the most important monastery in Greece proper is able to cling like a swallow's nest to the towering cliffs. The five-storied building was erected in 1640. In 1827 the cave retreat successfully withstood the Turkish troops of Ibrahim Pasha. The Orthodox Church was the backbone of the Greek fight for independence, whose success, attained in 1830, was recognized by the Centenary Celebration of 1930."
—From "New Greece, The Centenarian, Forges Ahead," December 1930, National Geographic magazine
