Writting & Photography Copyright 2010 Florian Manz & Julius Schrank
Athos can be considered the center of the Orthodox faith, the Mecca of the Byzantine world.
The holy Mount Athos Description Orthodox monks have been settling at the foot of the holy Mount Athos for over 1000 years. Athos is a self-governing monastic republic, located on a peninsula in Chalkidiki, Greece. Approximately 2,300 monks live in seclusion in 20 large monasteries and numerous other settlements. Athos can be considered the center of the Orthodox faith, the Mecca of the Byzantine world. A 20 km wide wilderness border separates the republic from the rest of the world, so Athos can only be reached with special permission and by ship. Women are generally denied entry.
After entering the republic you feel like you have been transported to another time. a time without noise, stress and haste. The clocks tick differently here and 2 was according to Byzantine time: 6 hours ahead. The day begins at 1:00 a.m. and ends at 1800 in the afternoon. The monastery is cleaned thoroughly twice a week, each monk has his own specific area of responsibility. A strictly regulated everyday life determines the life of the monks and includes hours of prayer, as well as work in the monastery garden, icon paintings or the preparation of masses.
Athos harbors a unique type of spiritual coexistence, largely untouched by the influences and problems of our modern, constantly changing society.
Not convinced already?
Almost all monasteries have their own small pier, where each day a ship arrives with mail, food, and pilgrims, serving as the only link between the secluded life of the monks and the outside world. These monasteries and skits are built into the steep and rocky mountain slopes, as if they are a natural part of the landscape, standing as silent witnesses to centuries of devotion. At dusk, the last monks quickly descend from the mountains, hurrying back to the monastery before the sun sets.
As the sun disappears and the gates close, the monastery is left in a world of its own, where time flows to the rhythms of prayer and the whisper of the wind across the mountains.