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The monastery of Agios Georgios is located in the castle above the Chora of Skyros and was probably founded in the year 960. The church was built between 1599 and 1602. Inside the church are well preserved frescoes. In 2001 the monastery was significantly damaged by an earthquake and after that it was renovated for 15 years. In 2015 the monastery was opened for the public again. The Byzantine castle above the chora of Skyros is situated at the highest point and overlooks the whole area. According to mythology this was the place where King Lycomedes murdered the Athenian hero Theseus and later Achilles hid himself in order not to participate in the Trojan War. The fortress was built in defense against the attacks of pirates and the people that lived below in the village had a second home here. Much of the castle has fallen into decay in the course of time. The later Turkish and Venetian occupiers of the island probably did not think Skyros was important enough to restore the castle again. Above the entrance of the fort a lion is depicted in marble. This marble lion is still part of the old acropolis that once stood on the same site and was placed here by the Byzantine owner. The fort is surrounded on four sides by the remnants of the four towers that the castle had. |
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