The church of The Dormition of the Virgin Mary in the village of Kontariotissa, is one of the well-preserved and significant monuments from the meso-Byzantine period. Built in the 10th century or the first decades of the 11th century, it is believed to have served as the katholikon of a Byzantine monastery. The church, which belongs to the transitional architectural type, with a dome and ambulatory, was built with building materials sourced from the neighbouring archaeological site of Dion. On its western side it has two chapels, while the preserved frescoes of the church date back to the 15th century, with artistic influences from the churches of Veria. In the church courtyard, located on a nearby hill of the village, Byzantine music events are held as part of the Olympus Festival amid a wooded, idyllic landscape. A short distance away to the north, the modern monastery of Osios Ephraim of Syros (a 4th-century ascetic) is found. The location offers a panoramic view of the region. The monastery was founded in 1983. It consists of a large sisterhood, and is notable for its impressive neo-Byzantine style as well as its beautiful, tranquil monastic environment.
