The first thing you notice on Patmos is the Monastery of St John the Divine or the Evangelist. It crowns the hill of Hora. It looks like a Byzantine castle and was built like a fortress. It was founded in 1088 by Ossios Christodoulos following a grant by the Byzantine Emperor Alexios Komnenos. The main chapel is dedicated to Holy Christodoulos where you can admire the skull of St Thomas, pieces of the Holy Cross and other religious relics. Since the Orthodox Church does not allow more than one ceremony per alter, per day, 10 chapels were built inside the monastery fortess: Saint Apostles, Saint George, Saint Fanourios, Holy Christodoulos, St Nicholas, St John the Baptist, St Basil, The Holy Cross, All Saints and the chapel of the Virgin Mary.