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Mount Athos

The Greek Orthodox Monk Who Died Without Ever Seeing a Woman

A Greek Orthodox monk on Mount Athos, the center of Orthodox monasticism, died at the age of 82 without ever seeing a woman. This is the story of Michael Tolotos. Born around 1856, Tolotos faced a tragic start to...

Mount Athos Ban on Women Steeped in History, Mystery

The peninsula of Mount Athos is home to twenty monasteries where only monks are allowed to live and only males are allowed to visit.

Alexander the Great and the Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World

Alexander the Great is said to have rejected a colossal project to sculpt Mount Athos, as had been proposed by his architect and technical advisor, Dinocrates. The architectural proposal, which, had it been carried out, would perhaps have been the...

King Charles Calls Greek Monk for Prayers After Cancer Diagnosis

After being diagnosed with cancer, King Charles called a Greek Orthodox monk on Mount Athos and asked him to pray for his health, as revealed on Tuesday. Elder Ephraim who is currently Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Vatopedi at...

The Greek Monk Who Brought Holy Mount Athos Cuisine to the World

Father Epiphanios of Mylopotamos was the Greek monk who first brought Holy Mount Athos cuisine to the world. The author of the book "The Cuisine of Holy Mount Athos" made monastic cooking, based mostly on fish and legumes, an important...

The Three Kings’ Gifts to Jesus Are Preserved on Holy Mount Athos

Among the innumerable treasures and holy relics preserved at the Holy Monastery of St. Paul on Mt. Athos (in Greek Άγιον Όρος, meaning "Holy Mountain") one of the most precious, and invaluable to Greek Orthodoxy, are the Holy Gifts...

Mount Athos: A Monastic Community Where Time Stands Still

Mount Athos, referred to in Greek as the "Holy Mountain", is one of the most important centers of the Christian Orthodox world. Home to twenty monasteries under the direct jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, it is governed as...

The Mount Athos Academy that Preserved Greek Identity Under the Ottomans

The historic Athonite or Athonias Academy at Mount Athos, the Holy Mountain of Orthodoxy, was instrumental in promoting Christianity and the Greek identity during the dark times of Ottoman rule. The educational institution founded in 1749 as a dependency of...

The Monk Who Waves the Greek Flag at Fighter Jets

A Greek monk at Mount Athos, the holy mountain of Orthodoxy, has been waving the Greek flag for years. He does so each time a military plane passes over his monastery. Whenever Monk Joseph hears the sound of an aircraft,...

The Mystery Woman Who Broke the Female Ban on Greece’s Mount Athos

This grainy 1903 photo of a mystery woman on Mount Athos, which was published in a Greek newspaper at that time, still causes controversy, with some monks claiming that they believe the unknown female on the left was the...