Mount Athos is on the Athos peninsula in Halkidiki in northern Greece and occupies almost the entire peninsula.
Its length is about 40 km, width of 8-12 km and an area of 332.5 square kilometers.
In the center of the Athos peninsula formed in length an extensive mountain range that leads to Mount Athos. Height: 2033 m
The bare peaks seem to want to reach the sky, and its slopes are full of old trees covered propagating an incomparable natural beauty in this enchanting region.
The border of the monastic republic begins from place "Fragokastro" and reaches Cape "negger" on the opposite side.
It is Athos, because it is the only place in Greece that is completely dedicated to prayer and worship of God ......
The Mount Athos is an autonomous (self-governing), but not sovereign (independent) state. Protector of the Theocratic Republic Athos is since 1923 the State Greece. He accepts both border guards and police functions for the Holy Mountain and also grants anyone entering one of the Athos monasteries monk from abroad Greek citizenship. However, this is not an option, but more or less forced to prevent alienation of monastic republic.
The currently about 2,000 monks on the Holy Mountain live according to the Julian calendar, the "lagging behind" our Gregorian 13 days. In addition, the Byzantine period applies. At sunrise start the day hours 0:00 to 12:00, at sunset the night hours, also 0 to 12 am. Since rising and setting of the sun shifts regularly, thus every 4 days changes the time.
The monks take a day for at least 8 hours of religious services, holidays up to 14 hours. they spend more 8 hours work, which is mainly used for supply of the monastic communities themselves and the pilgrims. These include agriculture, fishing, kitchen service and garden and cleaning work. Further work is mainly icon painting, woodcarving, book restoration and natural calligraphy. But there are also candles and drawn materials for liturgical vestments woven. From any associated administrative work and occasional renovations or repairs not to mention.
Life on Mount Athos usually takes place in one of the 20 monasteries, which partly also smaller Skiten and Kellien are subordinated. Although it hermits and ascetics are now and again, living alone in hermitages, small huts or even caves that are hidden somewhere in the mountains of Athos. They try to live in the strictest monastic asceticism.
The division of labor in the monasteries is hierarchically graded. At the top is the abbot, the abbot, which is still supported by a council of elders, but solely the shots. Each monastery also sends an elected for one year Antiprosopos (an agent) to manage capital of Athos, caries. There meets three times a week the Iera Kinotis, the Holy Community, which is the supreme organ of the monastic state. The Iera Kinotis governs not only the coexistence of monasteries among themselves but is also responsible for relations with the Greek Government and the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul.
If monks die, their bodies are without a coffin - dressed only with their cowls - buried. The tombs characterize this simple wooden crosses. After three years the remains are exhumed and washed the skull with wine. Are these after the procedure know as the souls of the dead are considered saved. If they are not, then there was probably a problem.
Subsequently, the monasteries are not alphabetically but listed after customary in monastic republic hierarchical ranking 1 to 20 This is since the 16th century until today unchanged and was confirmed by the type icon of the year 1783rd
· M. Megistis Lavras
· M. Vatopediou
· M. Iviron
· M. Hiliandariou
· Like. Dionisiou
· M. Koutloumousiou
· M. Pandokratoros
· M. Xiropotamou
· M. Zografou
· M. Dochiariou
· M. Karakalou
· M. Filotheou
· M. simonopetra monastery
· Like. Pavlou
· M. Stavronikita
· M. Xenofondos
· M. Osiou Grigoriou
· M. Esfigmenou
· Like. Pandeleimonos
· M. Konstamonitou
The Skiten are:
· The Nea Skiti
· Skiti Agia Anna
· Skiti Agias Triados - Kafsokalivia
· Skiti Prodromou Timiou (Rumanian)
· Skiti Agiou Dimitriou
· Skiti Agiou Andrea
· Skiti Timiou Prodomou or Iberian
· Skite Agiou Panteleimonos (Koutloumousiou)
· Skiti Agiou Dimitriou (Lakkoskiti)
· Skete of Prophet Elias
· Skite Xenophontos
· Katounakia
· Karoulia
