The Holy Mount Athos

Mount Athos is the easternmost and the largest of the three promontories of the Khalkidhiki Peninsula in the Aegean Sea, with the Athos Mountains of 47 kilometres in length and with the summit of Athos reaching the altitude of 2,033 metres above sea level. There is an Orthodox “republic” of monks and 20 monasteries. At present, there are about 2,000 monks living there and according to ancient tradition women are denied access.

For Orthodox Christians, Athos has unique importance as one of their spiritual centres. According to legend, it is where the Mother of God is buried, who took refuge there in the times when the Apostles
were persecuted. In memory of her, there is a law which says that no women may enter the whole peninsula, and neither is it allowed for any female animals to live there. It was ordained by Byzantine Emperor Constantine IX in 1045.

As early as in the 4th century A.D., Emperor Theodosius the Great had a church built there, which was dedicated to the Mother of God. In the 5th century, the first monastery was built and in 885, Athos was declared by Byzantine Emperor Basil I to be a seat of monks and hermits. In the 11th century, most of the twenty monasteries and most of the cells and hermitages had already been constructed. The Byzantine Empire significantly supported the monasteries, so until l 15th century, Athos was an Orthodox cultural and religious centre. After the Byzantine Empire was conquered, the situation became worse, and the monasteries were only able to survive thanks to being sponsored by Christian rulers from the countries along the Danube. In 1794, Athos School was founded, the monasteries became larger, new monks came and Athos experienced its golden age.

Another renewal occurred in 1826, when the monks who had fl ed before the Turks returned to the peninsula. In the 19th century, a large number of Russian monks arrived. On 5 November 1912, the Greek flag was hung out in a small port town and in 1924 Greece recognised the sovereignty of Athos.
The painting shows the interior of one of the Athos temples, with a mosaic image of the Mother of God in the apse. Sunshine is entering the church, which is also lit by many candles, from the right. The priests are standing in front of the iconostas, letting the pilgrims kiss the relics. Hovering in the bright light are cherubs carrying models of four other Orthodox monasteries: Hilandar (Serbian), Panteleimon (Russian), Zograf and Vatopedi (Bulgarian). Behind the cherubs we can see the portraits of four hegumens, the superiors of the monasteries. In the foreground there is a 19 youth supporting an old blind man; the youth is Mucha’s self-portrait.