Athos is a "brand" of spiritual life and an amazing mosaic of cultures, as well as a custodian of Byzantine charters and spiritual traditions for the entire Orthodox world for more than a thousand years.
Holy Mount Athos is the oldest monastic community in the world, as well as the peculiar trendsetter of "spiritual modes". In 886 year, Athos was declared the exclusive possession of monks-hermits. This unique monastic republic received its first constitution in 972 year, according to which only men can be on its territory, and visiting Athos is possible only with a special permit. According to the one of many legends, this rule was established in the V century. In 422 year, the daughter of the Byzantine emperor Theodosius the Great, Placidia was sent here with rich gifts, but by revelation from the Virgin, she was not admitted to the peninsula. This rule began to apply to all women. In addition to the historical and spiritual characteristics of Athos, it is also amazing in its beauty and picturesqueness. The mountain rises above sea level at 2030m. Surrounded on three sides by the sea, the peninsula reveals breathtaking landscapes to every visiting pilgrim.
The Garden of the Virgin
Holy Mount Athos is called "The Garden of the Virgin", as well as "The Land of the Virgin", Her spiritual earthly House, not by chance. Despite the fact that at one time the peninsula was one of the pagan centers, this place became a real flower garden of spiritual life, fragrant to the whole universe with prayer and Christian love. According to the legend, in 44 year the Virgin with John the Apostle made their way from Jerusalem to Cyprus. However, not far from Athos, they were overtaken by a storm and the ship was ashore. As soon as the foot of the Mother of God set foot on the ground, idols fell on the whole peninsula.
The first documented confirmation of the presence of monks-hermits on the peninsula dates back to the 4th century by A.D., and the flourishing of the monastic community on Mount Athos began in the IX century, when the saint Athanasius the Athonite fought on the Holy Mount. The Golden Age of Mount Athos monasticism was the XIV century, when Holy Mountain became the center of the hesychasm movement, spreading it throughout the Christian world. "Hesychia" in Greek is translated as "silence". Not that one, which you mean, when you want to escape from a nervous screaming boss or scandalous neighbors, but silence, acquired by prayer and leading to deification, to associate a person with the uncreated divine life.
The example of the most ancient Christian democracy
As for the material culture of this unique place, there is something to be surprised and rejoice. There are 20 monasteries on Mount Athos with a unique history, original architecture and, of course, untold spiritual treasures, which the athonites share with the needy. They store numerous Christian shrines, icons, relics, as well as unique frescoes, rare manuscripts, and other exclusive Svyatogorsk treasures. Here, Greek, Serbian, Bulgarian, Georgian and, of course, Russian monks carried feats. They unconditionally believe in the Mother of God as the unchanging Hegumen of the Holy Mountain Athos until the end of times. The way to the Holy Mountain begins with Daphne, the all-Athos port and a kind of "border post". The capital of the Svjatogorsky state is a small town called Karyes, located almost in the center of the peninsula, with the only shopping street where monks and pilgrims store food and household goods.
Administratively Athos is an example of the most ancient Christian democracy, because the Athos monastic republic is governed by a kind of parliament, which includes one representative from each of the twenty large "ruling" monasteries. Athos has a special self-governing status within the Hellenic Republic, enshrined in European law.
Monasteries and shrines of Athos
The Monastery of Great Lavra (in Greek "Μεγίστη Λαύρα", "Megisti Lavra") is the oldest and largest Athonite monastery, it keeps the icon of the Mother of God "Ekonomis", the relics of St. Athanasius the Athonite;
Vatopedi (in Greek "Βατοπέδι" or "Βατοπαίδι", "Vatopedi") is an honest Belt of the Blessed Virgin and seven miraculous icons;
Iberian (in Greek "Ιβήρων", "Iveron") is the home of the Iberian icon, known in Rus as the "Goalkeeper", among the Greeks - as "Portaitissa", according to legend, it will leave Athos at the end of time.
Hilandar (in Greek "Χιλανδαρίου", "Hilandariu") is a Serbian monastery, which has the icon of the Mother of God, named Trojeručica, historically connected with John Damascene, and is reverently preserved;
Dionysius (in Greek "Διονυσίου", "Dionisiu") is an ascetic, inaccessible monastery, the keeper of the right hand of John, the Lord of the Forerunner, whom the Greeks call "Prodromos";
The Koutloumousiou Monastery (in Greek "Κουτλουμούσι", "Kutlumusi") is an ancient monastery (X century), the keeper of the icon, called the All-Merciful Intercessor, as well as parts of the foot of the holy righteous Anna, which the church, along with the right-wing Joachim, are called "God-bearing" the parents of the Blessed Virgin;
Pantokrator (in Greek "Παντοκράτορος", "Pantokratoros") is the monastery of the Almighty, if translated literally; it stores the oldest icon on Athos;
Xyropotam (in Greek "Ξηροποτάμου", "Xyropotamu"), founded in the middle of X century, it reverently preserves the world's largest part of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, it shows the opening from one of the four nails with which the Savior was nailed to the Cross;
Zograf Monastery (in Greek "Ζωγράφου", "Zograf") is a Bulgarian monastery dedicated to the Great Martyr George the Victorious;
The Docheiariou monastery (in Greek "Δοχειαρίου", "Dohchiariu") has the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Gorgoipisus", its aponites are very fond of it;
Karakal (in Greek "Καρακάλλου", "Caracalla") first mentioned in documents in 1018, is the keeper of the honest head of the apostle Bartholomew;
Philotheos (in Greek "Φιλοθέου", "Philothe") is a monastery whose history began from the IV century; it was greatly revered by many Byzantine emperors;
Simonopetra (in Greek "Σιμωνόπετρα", "Simonopetra") is a monastery built at the edge of a narrow rock in the XIII century, where Grigory Palamas lived, and the "father" of Old Russian monasticism, the Monk Anthony of Kiev-Pechersky.
St. Paul (in Greek "Αγίου Παύλου", "Aguu Paul") - on the site of this monastery there was a Christian community of the times of Constantine the Great;
Stavronikita (in Greek "Σταυρονικήτα", so it is pronounced) is the smallest monastery on the Holy Mountain, it contains a rare image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, made in mosaic;
Xenophon (in Greek "Ξενοφώντος", "Xenophonthos") - a temple was built in honor of St. Dmitry Solunsky on the site of this monastery in the VI century (520 year);
Gregory (in Greek, "Οσίου Γρηγορίου", "Osiu Grigoriu") - the monastery in the fourteenth century was founded by Gregory of Sinai with disciples;
Esfigmen (in Greek "Εσφιγμένου", "Evsigmenu") - in the monastery St. Anastasius, Patriarch of Constantinople, carried feats. There are opinions that St. Gregory Palamas, who is the founder of the movement of the Ishiach, lived there for a while, as well;
Panteleimonov (in Greek "Αγίου Παντελεήμονος", "Agui Panteleimonos", or "Ρωσικό", "Rosiko") - the keeper of the head of the martyr and healer Panteleimon, it will not be passed by any Russian-speaking pilgrim to Mount Athos;
Constamonit (in Greek "Κωνσταμονίτου", "Kostamonite") has a miraculous icon of St. Stefan (VIII century), as well as two revered miraculous icons of the Mother of God.
It's hard to imagine a different place with so many historical monuments and shrines per square meter, like Athos.
