“Let this place be your lot, and your garden, and paradise, and the pier of salvation, those who wish to be saved,” the Lord said in response to the request of the Blessed Virgin to give her Mount Athos. Since then, this mountain has received the status of the Holy Mountain at the request of the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to legend, this happened in 49, since then not a single woman has visited this blessed place. So the Mother of God commanded, guarding the peace and tranquility of the monks who had dedicated themselves to the Lord.
Earthly destiny of the Mother of God
Mount Athos is a peninsula in Eastern Greece, rising over 2,000 meters above sea level. The population of the Holy Mountain is a monastic community. All the monasteries of St. Athos are community-based; in total, about one and a half thousand monks live on Gora. Almost the entire peninsula is covered with rich and lush vegetation. The beauty of the place strikes with its primordial power, it is believed that it was precisely because of the greatness of the local beauties that the Blessed Virgin noted thisplace.
Ancient abodes of the blessed place
The ancient and largest monastery is located in the southeastern part of the peninsula: the Great Lavra was founded in the tenth century and is located at the very foot of the peak. The founder of the Lavra is St. Athanasius of Athos, Lavra occupies a dominant place in the hierarchy of "Monasteries of Athos". The holy mountain has two dozen monasteries, three of them were founded in the first millennium. In the tenth century, St. John of Iversky founded a monastery named after the Mother of God of Iveron. In the northeastern part of the peninsula, just above the sea, rises the majestic Vatopedi Monastery, founded around 980. It was founded by three holy elders who arrived on the island to live the monastic life of St. Athanasius. The monastery of Vatoped belongs to the second step in the hierarchy of "Monasteries of Athos". Greece included Athos in the UNESCO World Heritage List, after which religious interest in the ancient monasteries increased significantly.
New Millennium – New Mansions
The beginning of the second millennium on Mount Athos was marked by the emergence of new monastic cloisters in this holy place. In the second century of the second millennium, the Serbian king and his son arrived on Athos and took the tonsure, this served as the basis for the emergence of a new monastery, known as Hilandar (Serbian). The place of origin of the monastery is distinguished by picturesque vegetation and a small distance from the sea (about 4 kilometers). The main icon of the monastery is the icon of the Mother of God "Three Hands", there are other icons on the territory of the monastery. Orthodox shrines. According to the history of the peninsula, at about the same time, another monastery of the monastic community began its history - Mount Athos. The monastery of Kutlumush was founded by an Arab who converted to Christianity, therefore it is considered Arabic. This place is famous for its holy relics and vestments, it also has many miraculous icons.
The smallest holy monastery and the monastery of the "zealots"
From the depths of time at the turn of the first and second millennia, the smallest monastery of Mount Athos traces its history. The Stavronikita monastery was founded by an officer Nikifor Nikita. This small monastery is famous for its great value - the icon of St. Nicholas dating back to the 13th-14th centuries. Those wishing to get to Stavronikita should focus on the eastern part of the peninsula. In the same part of Mount Athos, pilgrims will be able to visit a unique monastery that does not have canonical communion with other monasteries of the peninsula. This so-called monastery of "zealots" or the monastery of Esfigmen. It has been leading its history since the tenth century, survived many disasters, fires. This monastery houses many holy relics.
Miracles of the Bulgarian monastery
The western part of the peninsula will meet the pilgrims with silence, a prayer break and the pier of the Bulgarian monastery Zograf. The history of the holy monastery dates back to the beginning of the tenth century, like several other shrines of Mount Athos. Zograf Monastery was founded by three brothers of the royal family from the Bulgarian Orchid. According to legend, the brothers waited a long time for a sign from the Almighty in order to understand, in honor ofwhat saint to call the monastery. And the sign came: the face of the great martyr George appeared on the board. More than once in the holy monastery, cases of the miraculous manifestation of God's mercy have been recorded. In the 13th century, one praying elder heard a warning about an impending disaster, after which the icon of the Mother of God "The Herald" came to the monastery, carried by angels. Some time later, the 26 monks remaining in the temple were burned by the Lithians, one icon survived. A year later, during a memorial service, 26 rays of light descended from the sky on the ashes.
Greek monasteries on the Holy Mountain
Pilgrims following from the Bulgarian monastery, after two and a half kilometers will get to the Greek monastery of Konstamonit. Tradition says that the emperor Constantine the Great himself was the founder of the monastery. Constamonite was originally conceived as a small monastery for Greeks wishing to convert to Christianity. Repeatedly in the monastery, cases of miraculous Divine mercy, which Mount Athos is famous for, were recorded. The monastery of Konstamonit will offer pilgrims to pray at three miraculous icons: “Portaitissa”, “Image of St. Stephen”, “Virgin Antiphonetrius”. The monks testify that once, on the feast of St. Stephen, the monk was worried about the lack of oil in the monastery. In response to his concern, the jug under the Antiphonetry icon filled itself with oil. This inoki jar is shown with special pleasure to visitors.
Part of the history of the Russian Orthodox Church in the history of Athos monasticism
The close connection of the RussianOrthodoxy with Athos monasticism can be traced back to the 11th century: near the monastery of Esfigmen, the Russian monk Anthony, the future founder of monasticism in Russia and the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, was tonsured. At various times, many Russian ascetics began their Orthodox path in this blessed place, choosing the monasteries of Athos as their starting point in Orthodoxy. The Holy Mountain also sheltered the Russian monastery of St. Panteleimon or Stary Rusik. History also points to Russian sketes: Xilurga and the skete of the holy prophet Elijah. However, for disobedience, Russian monks in the 90s were deprived of Greek citizenship and expelled from the holy monasteries of Mount Athos. The monastery of St. Panteleimon is now inhabited by Greek monks.
The Bold Monastery on the Holy Mountain
Evidence of God's grace rises at the very top of the mountain the monastery of Simonapetra or the rock of Simon. The monastery is named after its founder, Saint Simon, who followed the vision that appeared to him in a dream. This monastery on Mount Athos amazes pilgrims with the courage and strength of the building and the principles of holiness. A great asset that the monastery is rightfully proud of is the right hand of Mary Magdalene, which has not decayed for more than two thousand years, while it remains warm, like the hand of a living person.
House of monks from different countries
The north-eastern part of the peninsula will meet pilgrims with lush greenery of chestnut trees and the monastery of Philotheus, one of the most ancient shrines of Mount Athos. The monastery sheltered within its walls monks from different countries: Russians, Greeks, Canadians, Romanians, Germans. The monastery has many shrines, the main of which are two miraculous icons: two-sided - the Mother of God "Sweet Kiss" and "Merciful", which herself came to the temple and determined her place. In this monastery, pilgrims will also be able to see the Particle of the Holy Cross, the incorruptible right hand of John Chrysostom, pray and ask for healing at the foot of Panteleimon the Healer.
