The monastery of Panagia Dourachanis is located opposite Ioannina, at the foot of mount Mitsikeli. It is dedicated to the birth of Virgin Mary and celebrates on September 8th.

According to tradition it was built in 1434 by Dourachan – Pasha Beflermpei of Rumeli Dourachan pasha was a general of the Sultans Murad II and Mehmed II and had his seat in Thessaly where the pashalik of Ioannina was affiliated. In 1434 he was forced to move from Thessaly to Argyrokastro to suppress the rebellion of the Albanian Arianit Spata Komninos. Without realizing the situation, he crossed the frozen lake with all his army during the night. When he arrived to Ioannina and realized the danger from which he had escaped, he attributed his salvation at the miraculous intervention of Virgin Mary. He ordered the construction of the current monastery named after his name, According to another aspect, founder of the monastery was not Dourachan but a Turkish pasha, who extended the monastery which had already existed at that location. Recollections registered in various religious books confirm the existence of the monastery in the early 19th century.

Although it was burnt down in 1825, in 1830 it was fundamentally built and continued to serve until 1933, when it was looted and the abbot was murdered. The monastery has been active since 1974, including a boarding-school. The katholikon of the monastery is of three aisles basilica and consists of elevated loft- vestibule, main church and a sanctuary Step. The main church is divided into three naves- the center one has three indoor domes.