Mount Athos is an autonomous part of the Greek State, located on the peninsula of Mount Athos in Halkidiki, Macedonia.
It includes twenty Holy Monasteries and other monastic institutions and is designated as an “Autonomous Monastic State”. It is the center of Orthodox Christian monasticism with monuments of great national, historical, religious, literary and cultural value on a global scale.
Since 1988 it is included in the list of World Heritage Sites.
According to Greek mythology, Mount Athos is associated with the battle between the Giants and the Olympian gods, the leader of the first was Athos. Athos threw a huge rock against Poseidon from Thrace, but failed and the rock fell into the sea, creating the mountain, which was named after him. According to another legend, the god Apollon fell in love with Daphne, the daughter of the king of Arcadia. Daphne, in order to stay pure, found refuge in the main port of Mount Athos, thus giving her name to it.
More than 2000 monks live on Mount Athos.Thousands of pilgrims visit Mount Athos every year. Thousands of pilgrims seek the inaccessible path that leads to the top of the mountain to feel God within them and to make an inner introspection in an environment of intense mystery.
Women are not allowed to leave and have to stay behind waiting for their partners to return to one of the two nearest ports. Mount Athos has banned women from entering for a thousand years. They do not allow them to approach at a distance of less than 500 meters.Every day 100 Orthodox and 10 non-Orthodox Christians are admitted with permission to live in one of the 20 monasteries on the peninsula.
“First we must heal our souls, only then can we help others” is one of the basic messages of a monk who lives as a hermit in a hermitage on the sacred mountain.
Obviously , the history and the majesty of Agio Oros can not be depicted in one article but it is so worth to spend some time to learn more about it!
