Mount Athos, Ηalkidiki, Greece

Simonopetra Monastery

Mount Athos is a self-governed part of the Greek state, located on the Athos peninsula of Halkidiki in Macedonia. The Athos peninsula is the easternmost and rougher of the three individual parallel peninsulas that form up the peninsula of Halkidiki. There is situated the mount Athos, hence it's name.  

Athos Peninsula

Includes twenty Holy Monasteries and other monastic institutions and is informally characterized as "Autonomous Monastic State." It is the center of Orthodox Christian monasticism with great monuments of historical, religious, secretarial and cultural value, on a global scale.

Monastery of Vatopedi

 
Monasticism on Mount Athos began around the 8th century and since then it's the most important monastic center of the world.

Although it's administrated under the supervision of the Greek State, spiritually is under the supreme authority of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Across the whole region of Athos the "avato" is applied. This means that no female is allowed to enter in this territory. This restriction has it's spiritual base in the chastity of the monks. Nevertheless, the monasteries accept male visitors of any religious beliefs.

Monk in Simonopetra Monastery

 Since 1988 Mount Athos is part of the World Heritage Sites list.

Koutloumousiou monastery