For a man to come face to face with God, in the special way that a monk is called upon to do so, he needs solitude and quiet, without external distractions. Monks that need this special solitude do not live in communes, but in solitary isolation.
Each one of us is called upon to serve God in many and various ways. Monasticism is a particular calling, a special way for man to serve God and mankind.
Every man has a “particular gift”, as St. Paul puts it. The calling for one to become a monk is just one such gift.
God himself speaks to the monk to be (offering signs and in the form of an inner voice), or through his Spiritual Leader (Father).
Monasticism is one of the ways for man to reach the Divine. To attain this state monks practice solitude, prayer, exercise, obedience to their Spiritual Father, service and fasting.
As they approach a monastery, the first thing visitors will notice is that construction-wise, monasteries on Mt. Athos resemble large castles, fortified medieval citadels. An imposing and very tall wall, further fortified with turrets, loopholes, holes for defending the grounds by pouring hot water or oil against invaders, as well as a great and imposing tower at the highest or weakest spot of the monastery. The reason dictating such edifices was the monks’ need to defend against their many and various enemies, who aspired to conquer and look Mount Athos over the centuries (pirates, the Franks, the Catalans and many others). Roughly in the middle of the wall we find the sole entrance to the monastery with two gates, close to one another. The gates shut with heavy wooden doors lined with long iron blades on the inside and heavy metal plates on their face. In between these two gates there is a small cell, where visitors meet the Gatekeeper. It is his duty to secure the gates after sundown and open them again at sunrise. He also checks the visitors’ permits and leads them to the Guest Quarters (Arhontariki). There the visitors are greeted by the Host Monk (Arhontaris), who offers them water, coffee, tsipouro and a Turkish delight. Later and after the visitors have signed in the Visitors Book, the Host Monk’s assistant will show them to their rooms to rest. In the afternoon (round four o’clock) the visitors assemble in the great courtyard, where the Catholicon is situated. This is the central church in every monastery and usually its place is at the center of the courtyard. Next to it we find the Phial, the edifice used for the performance of the blessing of the waters. Around the Catholicon there are several chapels, other buildings and many trees. The bell towers are also next to the Catholicon in the courtyard, and on their ropes hang bells of various shapes and sizes. Upon entering the Catholicon to attend the service of Vespers, visitors note that there is a climbing staircase across the church, a staircase beginning in one area and ending in another, going from chapel to chapel, from the icon-screen and the frescoes to the main church, the Holy Bema (Sanctuary) and culminating in the extension of the soul on the dome, from where our Almighty Lord Jesus oversees the World. Immediately after Vesper the bell chimes for everybody to go to the Refectory (Trapeza) for it is time to eat. The Refectory may accommodate many people, for it is usually a large, spacious space, opposite the Catholicon. The first to enter is the Abbot, followed by the monks and, last, the visitors. As a matter of principle, food on Mt. Athos is plain and frugal, marked by the complete absence of meat and usually consisting of legume, pasta, vegetables, olives, sometimes oil, fish and fruits. They serve excellent traditional bread, while their home-made wine is simply exquisite. About halfway along the left side of the table there is a pulpit from where the Reader reads various excerpts and preachments during meals. After dinner, visitors return to the Catholicon. They are there greeted by the Sacristan (Vimataris) who takes out the Holy Relics from the monastery’s archive and places them on the Bema for the people to bow before them. The rest of the day is free and this is, most probably, the most important moments, where visitors wonder around the courtyard, rest or find and talk to the monks, listen to their views, while the monks with patience and kindness offer their experiences, their advice, but, more importantly, give their blessings. In the early hours of the morning (around 4:00) visitors go to the Catholicon again to attend the Matins and the mass. They then have an early breakfast (around 8:00am) and leave the monastery to continue their journey.
The Protocol of the monastic state dictates that only men are allowed to visit the Holy Mountain of Athos. Visitors must, a few days prior to their arrival, call the offices of the Pilgrim Bureau in Thessaloniki, make a booking and get a code number. This number is necessary as there is a strict quota, limiting visitors to 120 per day. The offices of the Pilgrim Bureau in Thessaloniki are open 08:30 to 14:00 on working days and 10:00 to 12:00 on Saturdays. The telephone number for permits (diamonitirio) is 2310 252578 and Fax number 2310 222424). Visitors may travel by road (using their own vehicle or by bus) from Thessaloniki to Ierissos, Nea Roda or Ouranoupolis. The distance is roughly 140 km. and there are direct national bus services from all major Greek cities to Ouranoupolis. All of these destinations are cosmopolitan, tourist resorts which means that there is an abundance of shops, hotels, restaurants, as well as parking for your vehicles. The only cars allowed on Mt. Athos are those of the monasteries and of the workers working on the mountain. Thus visitors must leave their cars in the city. Prior to their departure for Mt. Athos, visitors must have their permits to reside (diamonitirio). They shall get these from the offices of Mt. Athos in Ouranoupolis (on the right side of the port, tel. 23770 71421). Visitors must be at the offices at least one hour prior to departure. In order for the permit to be issued visitors must show their police ID and pay a fee. Especially for foreign visitors the following are also required: A reference letter from their country’s embassy in Athens or from the corresponding consulate in Thessaloniki; a permit of entry to Mt. Athos from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Athens (Ecclesiastic Affairs Directorate) or from the Ministry of Northern Greece in Thessaloniki (Foreign Affairs Directorate) and their passport. The visitor’s personal information is recorded on the permit to reside, their code number and also the date of entry and the duration of stay. This duration is usually four days, however, should a visitor wish to prolong their stay, they may ask for an extension from the Holy Administration in Karyes. From Ierissos visitors will take the boat to the eastern side of Mt. Athos, from there they will be able to visit the following monasteries: Hiliandarion, Esfigmenos, Vatopedi, Pantokrator, Stavronikitas, Iviron, Megisti Lavra. For all other monasteries they must disembark at Iviron monastery (3 hours by boat) and then take the bus to Karyes (1/2 hour by bus) and from there they shall be able to visit any monastery. The Ierissos itinerary is available only in the summer. The other boat sails from Ouranoupolis. This one goes to the western side and stops at the monasteries of: Dohiarion, Xenofon, Panteleimon, Gregorion, Dionysios, Agios Pavlos. For the other monasteries, visitors must travel to the port of Dafni (2 hours by boat) and from there make their way to Karyes (1/2 hour by bus). Transportation on Mt. Athos is not adequate or satisfactory. For this reason, besides boats and buses, visitor may also get a taxi to drive them to their destination. For the most part, though, visitors should be prepared for long walks.
Retreats, or hermitages, comprise a transgression of a building. They are edifices constructed by hermit anchorites to cater for their, deemed by themselves minimal, needs. They are usually erected in hard, sometimes impossible, to reach places with the blessing of the cardinal monastery and the anchorite’s spiritual mentor. All forms of monkhood present on Mt. Athos and cited above have developed over a course spanning more than one thousand years. This tradition has imprinted itself, in apparently different manners should we judge it superficially, in their characteristics relating to the buildings or their organization. These, and independently of any typologies, morphologies or organizational systems of communal living, are an important constituent factor of the tradition of Mt. Athos. But the common qualitative element of tradition is the internal cohesion of all these different ways of living a monastic life, which is itself a coefficient of the rich evolutionary course of monasticism on Mt. Athos until the present.
Seats are located close to the monastery. They are not self-inclusive but are, rather, granted to monks of the monastery who do not enjoy succession rights.
Tradition dictates that, as a rule, three monks may inhabit a cells and permits up to three monks on trial. Head of the cell is the Elder to whom the monastery has surrendered the cell with a special administrative act and the corresponding instrument which is called a promissory note. The cell is surrendered for life, with its corresponding plot, against a price that also secures successor rights. Succession is established by the registration in the promissory note of the names of three monks. After the elder dies, head of the cells becomes the second, in order, monk, paying to the monastery the so-called tertiary-share.
Sketae are communities of monks, historically established in the greater geographic area of certain monasteries and only after the permit of the cardinal monastery, certified by Patriarchic sigil. Eight of them, with the traditional communal way of organization, are settlements made of huts with a religious and community life center, the Kyriakon (for Sunday). The Kyriakon is complemented by the Refectory, the Guest Quarters and the Library. Head of the monks in a skete is Dikaios who is elected by the convocation of Elders. His term lasts for one year and he manages the affairs of the skete with a committee of two councilors. All of this refers to the traditional, idiorrhythmic sketae, the four coenobic sketae which were erected in the 19th century in the form of a monastery complex are coenobitic. Dikaios serves for life and their building organization has the great monasteries as its model.
On the southwestern wing of the complex of the Skete of St. Andrew near Karyes operates today the Athonias Ecclesiastical Academy, or Athonite Academy. The Academy was inaugurated in 1749, following an initiative by Patriarch Cyril the V. It had originally been housed in a building constructed specially for this on a hill near Vatopedi monastery. That complex included of 170 cells, Refectory, Chapel, Library and teaching halls. It was a highest educational academy under the corresponding Patriarchic Sigil. St. Cosmas of Aetolia and Athanasius Parios had both graduated and taught there. It ceased to operate in 1809 and reopened its doors in St. Andrew’s Skete as an ecclesiastical academy and orphanage in 1930.
Athonias Ecclesiastical Academy
Tel. 23770-23200 Fax 23770-23341
Dafni is Karyes’ heaven. In ancient times it was the sanctuary for Apollo of Danfi. Around 1044 the monastery of Docheiario was established here, but it soon was deserted due to frequent pirate raids and subsequently moved to its present day location. Throughout Mt. Athos’ history, Dafni was and continues to be a key reference point for the movement of both pilgrims and monks. The only bus in Mt. Athos leaves from Dafni to follow the route to Karyes and the bay of the monastery of Iviron. The small settlement of Dafni is comprised of various public buildings, serving the pilgrims such as the port authority, customs office, post office, police precinct and other buildings housing a restaurant, a hotel, groceries, where one can also find ecclesiastic goods and souvenirs, as well as warehouses and laymen houses. Most of the buildings in Dafni date from the 19th century, a period where there was frequent arrivals of ships, mainly from Russia. Recently due to the increased needs, the old pier was widened and a second one was constructed. Most of Dafni belongs to the territory of Xiropotamou monastery, while its southern part belongs to Simonos Petra. The border between these two monasteries is a natural canal where the mountainous torrents used to empty their waters. The beautiful verdurous slopes which rise from the bay combined with the colors of the sea, paint a very tranquil ambiance, disrupted only during the disembarkation of pilgrims and goods.
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The church of Protaton is the oldest Catholicon in Mt. Athos and is dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin. It was probably erected during the first half of the 10th century, renovated in the era of Andronicus Palaeologos, while restoration works were also undertaken in 1955, where a square was created in the place of the cells adjacent to Protaton, to promote the latter. It differs from the Catholicon of the monasteries on Mt. Athos in being a triple-aisled basilica with an elevated middle aisle, that permits the third row of openings on its perimeter. Its present day form combines the type of the basilica, with respect to its roof, with a cross shaped ground plan. Its interior stands out for four pessaries divide the cross-shaped church into a central space with corner rooms. The church is adorned with awe inspiring frescoes, dating from the 14th century, and painted by Manuel Panselinos, the key representative artist of the Macedonian School, while its icon screen, or templon, is marble and a well preserved expression of old Byzantine icon screens. Kept on the synthronon in the Holy Bema is the miracle working icon “Axion Esti”, which dates, according to tradition, back to the 10th century and is the symbol of the Holy Mountain. The church has two narthexes which date from the early 16th century, one on its western side in the form of a adit and another on its northern side, where there is a cenotaph for the monks who were slaughtered by Catalan pirates in the 14th century. The bell tower was erected in 1534 by Seraphim and later renovated. In the tower of Protaton there is a library with 117 manuscripts, of which 47 are parchments. Kept in its archive room is the 1st Typikon (liturgical book) for Mt. Athos by Emperor John Tzimiskes, also known as “billy goat” for it is written on billy goat skin and constitutes the most historic text in this land.
Roughly in the middle of the peninsula of Athos and on its northern side we find Karyes, the amphictyonian center of the monastic state. This settlement is built in a verdurous environment. Its prime reference point is the church of Protaton, dating from the 10th century, the icon of Axion Esti and Panselinos’ frescoes, the tower of the church, the building of the Holy Community, nineteen houses (delegacies) of the monasteries, for all of them except for the one closest to Karyes, the monastery of Koutloumousio. Here one can also find the Governor’s building, subsumed to the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs (http://www.mfa.gr/ ), a Police Station, an Infirmary, Post and Telegram Office, a tailor shop, a bookstore, groceries and other shops and workshops. There are more than 50 cells in the greater area of Karyes, many of which are of particular historic importance, such as that of the Ravdouhos, a cell dating from the 10th century, and of Fournas. Karyes were founded in the 9th century when many monks moved in the area establishing Lavra in Karyes. Lavra in Karyes was acknowledged the first amongst all monasteries at that time and its Prior was named Protos (the First) in the Holy Mountain. During the Ottoman rules and dictated by the prevailing conditions most of the land and attachments of Lavra in Karyes and Protos were transferred to the other monasteries on Mt. Athos. Today these institutions are preserved in the form of the Holy Community and Holy Administration, led by the Head Custodian. The monks constituting the Holy Community are the representative of the twenty monasteries – and reside in Karyes.
FOURTEENTH MONASTERY
Near Dionysiou monastery, on the west side of Athos and close to the sea, inside an impressive gorge formed by the tall adjacent peaks we find Agiou Pavlou Monastery. According to tradition, the monastery was erected at the end of the 10th century by Paul of Xeropotamou, contemporary of St. Athanasius the Athonite, a spiritual man and hermit, the founder of Xeropotamou monastery. It is possible that Saint Paul retired from Xeropotamou monastery in some small cell in the area that gradually evolved to Agiou Pavlou monastery. The monastery will follow its own course and two centuries after its foundation, and possibly due to its desolation, will be demoted to a cell, thus losing the title of the cardinal monastery. In 1370 it will be relinquished to two Serbian monks, Gerasimus and Antonius who will painstakingly restore it back to its former dominant place. From then on and until the Ottoman rule the monastery will be assisted by Byzantine Emperors and Despots, as well as Serb rulers. Among its benefactors we also find Christian Princess Mara, daughter of Branković, wife of Ottoman Sultan Murad II and mother of the conqueror of Constantinople, Mehmed II. Mara who kept, despite her marriage, true to her Christian faith, will donate money and dependencies to the monastery and later, after Constantinople fell, will bestow the gifts of the three magi upon the monastery, a holy relic and Turkish loot from the fall. The history of the monastery follows closely that of the other monasteries. It will suffer hard from raids and heavy taxation during the Ottoman rule. It will also succumb to fires and floods, all of which will bring it to a desperate financial state. The monastery will find solidarity in the rulers and believers of the countries on the banks of Danube and the greater space of Hellenism, who supported it financially and assisted it in expanding its building installations. The library of the monastery is home to 508 manuscripts, 14.000 printed volumes and several golden bulls, led bulls and patriarchic sigils. Worth noting amongst its many heirlooms are a piece of the True Cross, part of the gifts by the Biblical Magi and various icons, of great historic and artistic value. Its Catholicon venerates the Presentation of Chris at the Temple and celebrates on the 2nd of February.
THIRTEENTH MONASTERY
The monastery stands 300 meters above the sea on a huge rock, on the southeastern coast of Athos peninsula, just past the port of Danfi, Mt. Athos’ most daring building. Simonos Petra, or Simonopetra (literally “Simon’s Rock”), monastery was founded by Simon the Athonite who was a monk in Athos in the 13th century and initially named the monastery “New Bethlehem”. The monastery’s key and principal benefactor was Serbian despot Jovan Ugljesa, who in 1362AD funded the renovation and expansion of the monastery. The monastery was hit hard by fires in 1580 and 1622 and as a result was in total desolation in early 17th century. In 1762 Russian monk Paisius Velichkovsky stayed in the ruins of the monastery and attempted, assisted by other monks, to revive the monastery. Paisius’ stay might has been brief but his work was continued by monk Joasaf from Mytilene. Simonopetra, after having succumbed to becoming idiorrhythmic, the monastery will return to cenobitic organization in 1801, but after enduring the hard years of the Turkish occupation of Mt. Athos, from 1821 to 1830, it was completely destroyed by fire in May 1891. With financial aid from Russia the monastery and its Catholicon were build once more and, despite such frequent catastrophes, Simonopetra flourishes spiritually yet once more with the arrival of new monks from Meteora. The architectural layout of its buildings, due to the limited space, is very different from other monasteries on Mt. Athos. The Catholicon of the monastery is dedicated to the Birth of Christ. Its treasures include pieces of the True Cross, vests, crosses pectoral crosses, icons and many relics from Saints, such as the left hand of St. Mary Magdalene, the foot of St. Dionysus and the head of Holy Martyr Sergius, which bears a small cicatrix due to a strike suffered as he was tortured.
