History
- Athos challenged the Greek gods during the Gigantomachia. Athos threw a massive rock against Poseidon which fell in the Aegean sea and became the Athonite Peninsula.
- Said to be visited by the Virgin Mary.
- Said to have an Apollo temple in 7th century.
- Monks as early as 3rd century.
- During Byzantine Empire it was inhabited by monks. (~726-1300’s)
- Allegiance with Ottoman Empire let Athonites live peacefully.
- Monasteries were left alone, but heavily taxed and land parcels were taken.
- Athonite Academy taught ancient philosophy and modern physical science in 1749.
- Ottomans forced out in 1912 during Balkan Wars.
- Greece obtained control from Treaty of London in May 30, 1913
Modern History
- Self-governed state of Greece
- Occupied during the Nazi regime
- Mt. Athos was nearly untouched during WWII
- Holy Community consists of 20 main monasteries
- 17 Greek, 1 Russian, 1 Serbian, 1 Bulgarian
- 1145 monks in 1971.
- 2000 monks in 2009.
- Capital of Karyes
Holy Monastery of Simonos Petra
The keli of a hermit monk
Mt. Athos Today
- UNESCO world heritage site
- Important site of Byzantine and Postbyzantine painting
Interesting Facts
- No women allowed in.
- Uses Julian Calendar, 14 days behind normal
- Only accessible by boat
- Ancient decree to build a road from Karyes to the rest of the world.
- No overnight stay for visitors
- During the reign of Julian the Apostate (361–363), the churches of Mount Athos were destroyed, and Christians hid in the woods and inaccessible places.
- The peninsula was on the invasion route of Xerxes I, who spent three years excavating a channel across the isthmus to allow the passage of his invasion fleet (483 BC)
- After the death of Alexander the Great, the architect Dinocrates proposed to carve the entire mountain into a statue of Alexander.
Sources
· http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Athos
· http://www.ouranoupoli.com/athos/athos.html
· http://www.macedonian-heritage.gr/Athos/General/Art.html
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