| Mount Athos is the eastern promontory that makes up | | | | faiths per day and documents and special permits are |
| the three fingered fist shape of Halkidiki and it is by far | | | | required to enter. |
| the most intriguing. To the far west lies the Kassandra | | | | Entry to Mount Athos is only allowed to males, women |
| peninsula, then the Sithonia peninsula and finally Mount | | | | are strictly taboo, including female animals! However, |
| Athos which is separated from Sithonia by the Singitic | | | | not to be thwarted by this, women have found a way |
| Gulf on its western side and on its eastern side is the | | | | to peep at the monasteries by cruise boats but the |
| Strymonic Gulf which opens out to the vastness of | | | | boats must remain a 150 meters from the shoreline. |
| the Aegean Sea. | | | | These boat trips provide good views and you get a |
| According to Greek mythology, Athos was one of the | | | | good idea of the magnificent Byzantine architecture of |
| giants and the son of Uranus and Gaea. In the war | | | | the monasteries. They leave on a daily basis from |
| between the gods of Olympus and the giants, which | | | | Ouranoupolis which is the last village before the |
| was instigated by Gaea to avenge herself on Zeus, | | | | monastic republic boundary. |
| Athos seized the highest mountain in Thrace and | | | | There are twenty monasteries in all, seventeen are |
| hurled it at the gods. The mountain fell to earth in the | | | | Greek and the Russians, Bulgarians and Serbians have |
| centre of Macedonia and took the name of the giant | | | | one each. No more monasteries are allowed to be built |
| who had thrown it. The peninsula of Sithonia got | | | | there but by the same measure, no monastery is |
| caught in the hurling crossfire and anything that fell | | | | permitted to deteriorate. |
| short of its target landed there hence causing its | | | | The monastic state is administered by one |
| craggy volcanic terrain whereas the Kassandra | | | | representative of each monastery who serves for |
| peninsula wasn't a victim of the waging fury. | | | | one year and exercises administrative, legislative and |
| Although, the peninsula takes its name from the | | | | judicial powers. Daily matters are dealt with by three |
| mountain that dominates the area it is not the name | | | | supervisors and a chief supervisor who is based at |
| that the Greeks know it by. To them this peninsula is | | | | Karyes, which is the capital of the monastic state. The |
| called, The Holy Mount and hereby lies a tale. | | | | monastic republic even has its own police force. |
| Nowhere else in the world is there an area like Mount | | | | Everything is shared within the monasteries but there |
| Athos, Halkidiki. It is unique because it is a monastic | | | | are also a variety of ways that the monks can live |
| community totally self-administered although, it does | | | | outside the main monasteries. All over the mount there |
| come under the direct control of the Greek Ministry of | | | | are small monastic houses where groups of monks |
| Foreign Affairs and spiritually, it is subject to the | | | | live. The harshest conditions are those of the hermits |
| Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. | | | | who live in caves on the steep slopes of Mount Athos |
| It is at the heart of the worldwide Orthodox faith and | | | | which are almost impossible to approach. Their only |
| has survived for over a thousand years. Subsequently | | | | communication is by way of a rickety staircase or |
| it possesses a wealth of religious relics and historical | | | | even just a rope dangling down to a boat on the |
| and artistic artifacts which consist of superb | | | | seashore. |
| wall-paintings, hundreds of icons, mosaic floors, carved | | | | Apart from the mysticism surrounding the monastic |
| wooden screens, crosses of various sizes, vestments, | | | | community, the area is one of unsurpassed natural |
| relics of the saints, miniatures, glassware, embroidery | | | | beauty and home to several wild birds and endemic |
| and carpets. There are over 12,000 manuscripts and | | | | herbs and flowers. No one can honestly say they |
| more than 20,000 printed books that have been stored | | | | know Halkidiki until they have viewed the majestic |
| for centuries in the monasteries libraries and special | | | | splendour of Mount Athos and its monasteries, it really |
| rooms which visitors are allowed to view. | | | | is an awe inspiring and humbling experience and one |
| As you can imagine, it is an interesting place to say the | | | | that shouldn't be missed whether you are viewing it by |
| least, but it may only be visited by up to 120 Greek | | | | boat or are allowed entry. |
| Orthodox and up to 10 foreign members of other | | | | |