Agio oros

Where the monks live literally in cells hung on steep rocks, like dove nests, far from the monastic order, ascetic to the end of their lives. Mount Athos is a special place. It is a destined place where monks cloister and dedicate their life to God. People who wanted to work for the love of God, worship Him with all their will, in order to sanctify themselves and, at the same time, help the world with their prayers and their good example. Becoming a monk is not that easy. Primarily it is God's call, but the call of God is not obligatory. This place, Mount Athos, has been chosen by Our Lady. Rather, she was given a clergy, when the Apostles received clergy in which place everyone would declare Jesus Christ. Our Virgin Mary chose Holy Mount Athos.

The Mount Athos constitutes the ark of Orthodoxy. Today it is made up of 20 monasteries and other monastic foundations, such as sketes, cells, hermitages. Its capital is Karyes. Athonite monastic life begins in 843, upon arrival at Mount Athos, of two great personalities: Saint Peter of Athonite and Saint Athanasius of Athonite. This Mount, according to the Mount Athos tradition, was visited by the Virgin when it was inhabited by pagans. When the pagans stumbled upon the Virgin Mary, they marveled at her beauty and said that only one goddess could have such beauty. Our Lady blessed this Mount and, like her own orchard, filled it with devoted people, living in virginity and purity.

In order to secure these children in her orchard, in order to be able to worship God inexplicably, Her will was to remain uninhabited, immune from everything that could have avoided the monastic sanctity of the monks. That is why Mount Athos, for over a thousand years now, lives immune from the women. And it has implanted within people, especially women, respect, love and fear towards Mount Athos. Our Virgin Mary has also secured the sanctity of her children, the monks, by not allowing not only the female sex but also every female animal. So that the monks are totally and unconcerned to devote themselves to their lonely duties, and through them to proceed to holiness.

"This place will be from now on your orchard, paradise and salvation harbor for those who want to be saved". In these words Jesus Christ gave the peninsula of Athos to the Most Holy Theotokos.

According to the Athonite tradition, Theotokos traveled by boat from Palestine to Cyprus to visit the resurrected from the dead Saint Lazarus, accompanied by Saint John the Theologian. A major storm was the occasion for the ship to finally be found in Mount Athos and specifically in the port of Clementus in the Monastery of Iviron. It is also said by the tradition that the top of Mount Athos and all the trees were bowed and worshiped towards the port of Clement, where Virgin Mary was. Impressed by the beauty of the part, Virgin Mary asked the Lord to give her the peninsula and dedicate the place to her worship. Thus, the place was transformed into a place of prayer, faith and asceticism, and was named Holy Mount Athos.

We can see the presence of monks on Mount Athos since the 4th - 5th centuries AD, while the oldest monastery has exceeded 1000 years of uninterrupted monastic life in the last century. It is also considered one of the most important parts of the Balkans and Europe, but mainly of the Eastern Orthodox Church because of its great historical, religious, secretarial and cultural value. It is the living Byzantium, six centuries after the fall of Byzantium. Finally, because of the huge amount of significant material, it is also characterized as a "shelter" of the Greek heritage, but also as a living museum, since the sacred vessels and objects are not enclosed in a showcase, but are part of everyday worship.

According to Greek mythology, Mount Athos, is connected with the battles between the Giants and the Gods of Olympus. The leader of the first was Athos. Athos threw from Thrace, a huge rock against Poseidon, but failed, and the rock fell to the sea, creating the Mount, which was given his name.