The Holy Mount Athos (Ogion Oros)

Regardless of the fact that my blog is more about tourism and famous tourist attractions, I am willing to share with you a brief introduction of one of the Holy Spiritual centers in the Orthodox world. The article has derived from the soul and belief in the Almighty God, the Son and the Holy Mother.

Located on the same name peninsula, the Mount Athos is one of the oldest monastic communities in the world. The community of 20 Orthodox monasteries, established during the Byzantine times, functions in its complete freedom till nowadays. According to its sacred traditions, only men are allowed to enter this monastic republic. Mount Athos is a self-governed state in the territory of Greece, having its local administration.

The monastic community of the Athos has been leading an isolated life of its own. The Mount Athos is considered to be one of the virgin parts in Greece, where the wild nature appears in its entire beauty. Green valleys and gorges, crystal clear waters, wooded peaks and coastline ravines complete the magic of this holy area.  The peaceful scenery over the blue waters of the Aegean Sea, alongside with the picturesque landscape of the mountain, appealed the hermits to establish their holy community on the peninsula.

The only woman who has walked on the holy land of the Athos is the Mother of God, Holy Virgin Mary. The Mount Athos is also referred as the Garden of the Holy Mother Mary. According to a legend, on her way to the island of Cyprus, the Holy Mother, accompanied by the Evangelist John, had to anchor at the nearby peninsula (Athos) because of the storm. When she walked in the wild and splendid nature of the peninsula, she couldn’t help admiring its beauty. It was this time when She asked her Son to make this land her garden. Hence, as the legend indicates, She has been the only woman to have stepped on the virgin land of the Athos.

The first records about the official establishment of the Athos Mount as a monastic autonomous community go back to the 9th century. Since then only religious men have been allowed to live there.

Nowadays, the main and the leading monastery of the Athos Mount is the Great Lavra, founded by Athanasios. Built in the mid of the 10th century and at the time the monastery was inhabited by eight monks. Great Lavra monastery set forth to the construction of other monastic buildings, due to which the hermit system gradually changed into a monastic one. The secular traditions of the old hermits accused Athanasios of breaking the isolated essence of the Mount Athos. The Byzantine Emperor Ioannis Tsimiskis came forward to encourage the rights of big monasteries, at the same time confirming the daily rules and discipline of the Athos monastic life (the charter of Typikon), initiated by Athanasios himself.

As mentioned above, the Mount Athos is home to twenty Orthodox monasteries with 17 belonging to the Greek Orthodox Church, the other three belonging to Russian, Bulgarian and Serbian Orthodox Church. Besides the great monasteries, there are also smaller monasteries, farmhouses, small houses for monks prevailing on the peninsula.

In order to visit the Mount, it is recommended to have your trip booked in advance. The entrance to the Holy Mountain is limited to 110 male visitors a day, with the 100 out of them belonging to the Orthodox Church and the other 10 male visitors belonging to any other church. The bureaucracy starts with the permission you need to have gained prior to your visit to the Mount. It is worth to mention that men under 18 are not allowed to have an overnight there. Once you are there, you should follow the humble behavior of the locals by expressing your respect in return.