About Mount Athos
UNESCO World Heritage
A Mythical and Historic Place of Mount Athos
Halkidiki, Greece
You can describe Mount Athos in many ways. It is a peninsula, mountain and a holy ground. But, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage site, an independent monastic republic and a region of exceptional natural beauty. Athos is the easternmost promontory of the Halkidiki region that protrudes deeply into the Aegean Sea. Various legends and interesting stories have been woven around this place for centuries. And these are some interesting myths and facts about it:
Greek deities and Christian saints
According to legend, Mount Athos came into existence during the battle between Gods and Titans. Either a Titan named Athos hurled a rock at Poseidon, with no avail, which landed here. Or it was the other way around, but with success. Once the mount came into existence, Apollo and Zeus lived there before choosing Mount Olympus for their residence. Finally, the Virgin Mary arrived here and claimed Athos Peninsula as her garden.
Mount Athos – the Christian monastic republic
From the 10th century AD onward, monastic communities started to appear throughout the peninsula. Today, there are 17 Greek monasteries, 1 Russian, 1 Serbian and 1 Bulgarian. They form the only monastic republic in the world. You can see a fair share of these on the cruise by the sea.
Visiting Athos
Because of the promontory’s status as the Virgin’s garden, no female may enter Athos. Males may apply for the permit in Ouranoupoli, the closest settlement to the republic’s borders. Once the permission is granted, people can visit monasteries and always find a bed and food there. The area is magnificent for hiking, boasting forested expanses and elevated grounds. There is a saying that people who climb the Athos summit (2033 meters) see the sunrise 3 hours before people below do.
Other interesting facts about Athos Mountain
There is one interesting saying about Mount Athos: “The empire without a crown. The state without an army. Wisdom without a school. The kitchen without meat. Wealth without money. The country without women.”
However, one woman managed to visit Athos. It was Empress Jelena (Helena), the wife of Dusan the Mighty, an illustrious Serbian medieval emperor.
