One of the most famous temples of the island of Santorini (Thira) is the monastery of Prophet Elijah. It is located 4 km South from the village of Pyrgos, on the highest point of the island (the mountain of the Prophet Elijah, on the elevation of 586 m above sea level.

The monastery of Prophet Elijah is one of the oldest on the island and was built in 1712 by monks from Pyrgos in the style of a fortress. In the first two centuries after the construction of the monastery played an important role in the economic, political and cultural life of the island. During the Ottoman domination the monastery existed a clandestine school, where he taught Smoking at the time of the Greek language and literature. Since 1860 the monastery gradually began to lose its former importance, and in 1956, a major earthquake that shook the island of Santorini, was very badly damaged.

Today the monastery is a Museum of religious art, which houses an excellent collection of unique a variety of icons and Church relics. In the monastery's library also has a fine collection of rare manuscripts and ancient documents. In the Museum you can see models of the reconstructed premises of the underground school, a blacksmith's shop and traditional carpentry.

The top of the mountain offers stunning panoramic views of the picturesque scenery of Santorini and nearby Islands, and on a clear Sunny day you can even see the tops of Crete. Unfortunately, the top of the hill today and used as a military base. Special equipment and barracks several spoil the overall impression of the beautiful temple.