In our blog you can find articles with useful information about the Garden of Virgin Mary, the Monasteries, Cells and Sketes, the routes, but also how to visit Holy Mount Athos. In addition, here you will find authentic monastic recipes, fasting and healthy, as well as prayers for various occasions!
According to the tradition, during the period of Turkish rule, the area of Porto Lagos belonged to a local bey. He sought the help of a hermit living there due to his ailing daughter. Once the hermit healed her, the bey wanted to express his gratitude and thus granted the area to the Holy Great Monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos. Another older tradition states that the Dependency of Saint Nicholas was consecrated by Patriarch Nectarios in the presence of the Byzantine Emperor Arcadius. After the emperor's shipwreck during his return from Rome, he emerged unharmed thanks to the intercession of the Virgin Mary. This event led him to express his gratitude to the Virgin Mary by dedicating the area to Theotokos.
Saint Nicholas the Myrrhbearer, was born in the city of Patara, located in Asia Minor, during the 3rd century AD to wealthy and devout Christian parents, who passed on to him the values of Christianity. The exact date of his birth remains unknown, but we know that he lived during the reigns of Diocletian (284-304 AD), Maximian (286-305 AD), and Constantine the Great.
From ancient times to nowdays, honey has been an integral part of both human nutrition and therapeutic methods. There are many types of it and all of them have priceless nutritional and energy value. Many types of honey are produced on Mount Athos, some of which are not so well known in Greece.
Saint Nektarios was born on October 1, 1846 AD. in Silivria in Thrace by Demos and Vasiliki Kefala and was the fifth of their six children. His secular name was Anastasios. At the age of 14, he moved to Constantinople, where he worked as a clerk and then as a teacher at the school of Metochi of the Holy Sepulcher. Afterwards, he went to Chios, where he served as a public teacher in the village of Litheio from 1866 AD. until 1876 AD. In 1876 AD he became a monk in the New Monastery of Chios with the name Lazarus. A year later, on January 15, 1877 AD. he was ordained a deacon with the name Nektarios, by the Metropolitan of Chios Gregorios (1860 - 1877 AD), and assumed the secretariat of the Metropolis.
The history of the monastery is lost in the Byzantium era, where there was a monastery dedicated to Zoodochos Pigi at that point. Osia Athanasia had lived as an ascetic in this monastery, but over the years it was abandoned. In 1904, Saint Nektarios decided to restore the monastery and house the Holy Trinity Monastery there. The works for the restoration of the Monastery lasted from 1904 to 1907. A year later, in 1908, Saint Nektarios left the management of the Rizarei School and retired to the Monastery.
A unique hymn to Virgin Mary, a poem by Saint Nektarios, written after the appearance of Virgin Mary in the monastery of Aegina. According to tradition, Theotokos asked the Saint to write a special hymn, dedicated to her, and thus the famous hymn "Virgin Virgin Despoina" was created.
Saint Demetrios was born in Thessaloniki, Greece, between 280 - 284 AD. and lived in the period of the Emperors Diocletian and Maximian. He came from an aristocratic family and in a short period of time rose to the top ranks in the Roman army. In fact, at the age of 22 he received the rank of Chiliarch.
As evidenced by the excavations, the Church of Saint Demetrios is built in a place where the public baths operated during the Roman period. According to the tradition, Saint Demetrios was imprisoned and martyred with a spear, in this exact place. Later, in the year 313 AD after the Edict of Milan, a small church was built over the Saint's tomb.
According to tradition, Mount Sinai is where God gave Moses the tablets of the Law with the Ten Commandments (Exodus 19). For this reason, Mount Sinai also received the name Jabal Musa (Mountain of Moses). The highest peak of the mountain has a height of 2,240 meters and is two hours' walk from the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine. The Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine is considered the oldest Christian monastery in the world, together with the Holy Monastery of Saint Anthony near Cairo. Since 2003, the Monastery has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
October 28, 1940 - the newspapers of the time captured from the first moment the rapid events of the war and political events. Announcements, important decisions, developments at the front and rousing slogans filled the leaflets every day. Below, we've compiled the front pages of major and minor newspapers as published on October 28 and 29, 1940.
Mount Athos is already known from Greek mythology. It is said that in the area where the peninsula of Mount Athos is located, a great titanic battle took place between the giants and the gods of Olympus. In this battle, the leader of the giants was Athos, son of Uranus and Gaia. According to mythology, the giant Athos grabbed a huge rock and hurled it with great force against the Olympian gods. In this way, the area of Halkidiki and the homonymous peninsula were created.
The spiritual legacy left to us, by Elder Paisios through wise words and advice. Saint Paisios of Mount Athos was born in Farasa, Cappadocia, on July 25, 1924. As a child, he sought to become a monk, devoting his entire life to Our Lord. Elder Paisios lived a virtuous life, with deep devotion to the...
