The epicenter of the Eastern Orthodox Monarchy and the only autonomous Orthodox state with 20 monasteries, Athos, also known as the Holy Mountain, is located on the peninsula of the same name in Halkidiki. This sacred area still carries a certain amount of mystery not only for foreigners but also for many Greeks, so today we will bring you a little closer to Athos and explain how it is possible to visit this place. Here is also the Hilandar monastery, the most important place of Serbian culture and spirituality, which contains a rich treasury of medieval Serbian culture, and where, among others, the Virgin of the Three Holy Virgins from the 8th century is located.
Mythology
According to mythology, Athos was a Thracian giant who, during a battle with the Olympian gods, threw a huge rock at the god of the sea, Poseidon. The rock that slipped from his fingers and fell into the sea created a piece of land that is known today as the Holy Mountain. However, there is another mythological record that explains the origin of Athos: the god Apollo fell in love with Daphne, the daughter of the Arcadian king, and in an attempt to resist temptation and preserve her virginity, the young woman fled to the main port of Mount Athos and found refuge here, giving the name to the area - the main port of Athos is called Daphne.
Photo: [Nikola Popović] (http://svetagora.info/%D1%84%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%98%D0%B5-%D0%B0%D1%83%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B0-%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B5-%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%9B%D0%B0/); Source: [SvetaGora.info] (http://svetagora.info/%D1%84%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%98%D0%B5-%D0%B0%D1%83%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B0-%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B5-%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%9B%D0%B0/)
Early, Christian traditions
In the 4th century, the peninsula was Christianized, and around the 5th century, monks began to settle Mount Athos because they realized that this abandoned place was ideal for worshiping their God in peace. Early Christian traditions say that on their way to visit Lazarus in Cyprus, the Virgin Mary and John the Evangelist found refuge on the peninsula after being caught in a storm at sea. Delighted by the beauty of this place, Mary asked her son Jesus to turn the place into her garden. That's why the area is also known as the Garden of the Virgin, where other women are not allowed to enter.
By the end of the 9th century, communities of hermits and monks were formed that lived harmoniously all over Athos. Historians believe that the founder of organized monastic life was Athanasius of Athens, who founded the Great Lavra monastery in 963, today the largest and most important monastery. Athanasius lived his whole life in Trebizond in Asia Minor before settling on Mount Athos. Because of the spiritual, deep-minded and ascetic life he led, other ordinary people who wanted to become monks arrived on Athos under his leadership, and many new monasteries were built. However, not all monks supported these newly created monastic communities, so some complained to the emperor John I Tsimiski, who responded with a chrisovula in which he fully supported the work of Athanasius.
Photo: [Nikola Popović] (http://svetagora.info/%D1%84%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%98%D0%B5-%D0%B0%D1%83%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B0-%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B5-%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%9B%D0%B0/); Source: [SvetaGora.info] (http://svetagora.info/%D1%84%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%84%D0%B8%D1%98%D0%B5-%D0%B0%D1%83%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B0-%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%B5-%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%9B%D0%B0/)
Byzantine Empire
Later, in the 11th and 12th centuries, Sveta Gora became an important monastic center in the Byzantine Empire with even more monasteries built, so its wealth grew and the estate expanded. When Byzantium collapsed in the 15th century, the Ottoman Empire took over and soon imposed taxes and levies on the monks. As the economic burden grew, monks left the monasteries; however, a few monks remained, so for centuries Saint Gora was only a shadow of its former glory. But the greatest tragedy was yet to follow - in 1822, after thousands of women and children came to find refuge in this area, the Turkish army killed the monks, women and children, looted all the treasures they found here and burned the valuable manuscripts.
However, at the end of the War of Independence, peace returned to Athos, and with it the monks, although many came from the neighboring countries of Russia, Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia, and among them only a few Greeks. When Ottoman rule finally ended in 1912, Athos had about 10,000 monks and was finally under Greek rule again; however, the area was abandoned again and revived again in the 1970s, attracting younger generations, so today this area is home to about 2,000 monks. It is interesting that all persons who decide to live here as monks become Greek citizens without any formalities.
Hilandar
Certainly, we must mention that the Serbian Hilandar monastery is also located here, the 4th most important monastery in the hierarchy, built on the initiative of Saint Sava, who became a monk on Athos in 1191. More recently, the monastery was significantly damaged in a fire in 2004, where due to the isolation of the place itself, it is often inaccessible for the fire services to pass and intervene.
Today, Sveta Gora is a self-governing area where visits are restricted - a special entry permit is required - and only men who have decided to live celibate can live here. Women were forbidden to enter completely (even the females of certain animals, with the exception of cats and chickens), but during the civil war in 1946, Athos provided refuge for refugees. What is even more interesting is that there is a specific time calculation on Athos and a completely different time zone applies (even from the one in Greece), so mornings start already at 3 in the morning. In the same way, there is no land road that can be used to enter Mount Athos, but visitors can only enter here from the sea.
How to visit Hilandar monastery?
If you are interested in visiting Mount Athos, it is best to inform yourself about the possibility of a visit through the website of the Hilandar monastery. What you need to know is that it is not possible to make only a day visit, but you have to spend the night on the peninsula. Also, since this is a holy place with its own rules where the goal is to maintain the centuries-old monastic order, don't expect a visit to Athos to be a tourist package. In addition to the fact that a woman's foot cannot set foot in the male monasteries, no one who has not been announced can enter, and those who are not of the Orthodox faith need a special permit.
Photo: Mirko Sajkov - Pixabay
What is Diamontirion?
In order to get to Mount Athos, you need to receive a blessing for your stay first, and then on the day of your arrival, take the so-called residence permit. diamontirion issued by the executive authority of Mount Athos. The price of a residence permit is 25 EUR for adults, i.e. 10 EUR for clergy, students and pupils. The announcement is necessary due to the limited capacity of the monastery and camping is strictly prohibited. In this way, you get entry to one monastery (eg Hilandar) and take into account that if you want to visit another monastery, you have to ask for permission again: for each entry to the monastery, you must first receive a blessing for the visit and to announce yourself. It is also advisable to pre-book a boat ticket that will take you from Jerisos or Ouranopolis to the port of Athos. So you can get on the boat to Athos only with a diamontirion, a boat ticket and a passport. Accommodation on Athos is free, as is food, and you can participate in all religious services.
What information needs to be sent before visiting the monastery?
Recommendation to send a fax to the brotherhood of the Hilandar monastery with a request for a visit. In addition to the first and last name, it is necessary to write the correct passport number, the period of the planned visit and leave a contact phone number. Usually, it takes several months for a permit to be issued, especially if it is a group visit or a person who is not of the Orthodox faith. Since there is an Endowment of the Holy Monastery of Hilandara in Belgrade, anyone can contact it: https://www.hilandar.org/kontakt/
Rules for the female gender
For the female gender, there is currently no choice but to visit Athos from the sea, and there are many available tours and cruises offered by various agencies. Although several women have tried to enter the peninsula, and a resolution of the European Parliament in 2003 demanded the lifting of this ban on women, the fairer sex is still unable to visit the Garden of the Virgin. Hopefully this rule will change in the near future.
