Mount Athos understand · Mount Athos tourist information
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Mount Athos tourist information
Mount Athos tourist information
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this peninsula of 390 km² houses some 1,400 monks in 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries. An autonomous state under Greek sovereignty, entry into the area is strictly controlled and only male residents are allowed to live there and only male visitors allowed.
Agio Oros (Holy Mountain) is a self-governed part of the Greek state, politically subject to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople as regards its religious aspect. The mountain is dedicated to the Holy Mother of God, and by an imperial document (typicon) the avaton was established and no female may set foot on the peninsula. Most of its inhabitants are Orthodox monks living in monasteries, sketae (cloisters), cells and hermitages. Those who are not members of the clergy include employees and workers, but also the numerous visitors to Agio Oros, who come for the purposes of meditation, prayer and study.
Of the twenty monasteries, one is Russian, one is Bulgarian, one is Serbian and the rest are Greek. There are also Romanian and Bulgarian sketae'. Foreign monasteries and sketae are supported by their respective countries.
These monasteries possess holy relics, icons, frescoes and mosaics of great value. Although many have been lost in fires or stolen during raids, a vast array of historical texts, rare documents and manuscripts - all historical heirlooms - are kept in their libraries.
The first to settle here were iconodules, members of the clergy fleeing from the persecution of the iconoclasts. They came and lived as anchorites, unknown, and literally alone inside caves. Later, monasteries were built and were organised in a monastic state. Agio Oros became a refuge for those seeking to save their souls through fasting and praying, and its prestige grew to a point that even Byzantine emperors came and lived as monks here.
The right of autonomy of Agio Oros was granted gradually, initially by the Byzantine emperors Nikiforos Fokas and Ioannis Tsimiskis. This autonomy persisted throughout the Turkish occupation up to this day.
During the years of Turkish occupation it was a centre of the National Movement, and many who were wanted by the Turks took refuge there. During World War I, the ban on women was temporarily lifted and refuge was provided for many families.
The common visitor can stay for free at each monastery for one day. Those who want to carry out studies can stay for as long as they want.
An entire civilisation, different from modern civilisation, is preserved not only in the libraries, but throughout this special state and its people, in peace and quietness.
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Mount Athos Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
