Mount Athos - Holy Mountain

Mount Athos is a mountain and a peninsula in northern Greece. The peninsula, the easternmost “leg” of the larger Halkidiki peninsula houses some 1,400 monks in 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries. An autonomous state under Greek sovereignty, entry into Mount Athos is strictly controlled and only males are allowed entrance.

About 1,400 monks currently reside on the mountain, which has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988. Entry to this sacred place — whose art and learning has influenced Orthodox Christianity for a thousand years — is difficult to achieve. Since seclusion from the world is a central tenet of the spiritual practice of Mount Athos’ communities, admission is restricted to a finite number of pilgrims per day, who are limited to a four-day, three-night stay. Women are not permitted to visit the mountain.

The beauty of Mount Athos is in its timelessness. It is as if the monastic part of the Byzantine world has been preserved in this quiet, full of mysticism corner of the world. It is not only a living museum, but principally it is a place for prayer and contemplation, free from external influences. There, the monastic ideals and way of life have been preserved in their purest form. Privileged are those who have been able to visit for a pilgrimage there.