Best Mount Athos

Vatopedi Monastery is an Eastern Orthodox monastery on Mount Athos in northern Greece, ranking second in the hierarchy of the twenty Athonite monasteries. Tradition attributes its founding to the late 10th century under the Byzantine emperor or figures associated with the Komnenos dynasty, and it ha...

Stavronikita Monastery is an Eastern Orthodox Christian monastery located on the Mount Athos peninsula in Greece. Constructed primarily during the 16th century, it is distinguished as the smallest of the mountain's twenty ruling monastic institutions. The monastery is fortified with high defensive w...

Hilandar Monastery is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located on the eastern shore of the Athos peninsula in Greece. It was founded in 1198 by Saint Sava and his father Stefan Nemanja, the former Grand Prince of Serbia who took monastic vows under the name Simeon, after the ruler's abdication. The mona...

Dionysiou Monastery is an Eastern Orthodox monastery on the southwestern side of Mount Athos in Greece. Founded in the 14th century by Saint Dionysios of Koreseos, it occupies a steep site above the Aegean Sea and has the compact, fortified form characteristic of several Athonite monasteries. The ac...

Iviron is an Eastern Orthodox monastery located on the monastic peninsula of Mount Athos in northern Greece. Founded in the late 10th century by Georgian monks, it ranks third in the hierarchy of the Athonite monasteries. The complex is renowned for housing the Iveron Icon of the Theotokos, a highly...

Simonopetra Monastery is an Eastern Orthodox monastery on Mount Athos in Greece, founded in the 13th century by Saint Simon. The monastery is dramatically situated on a steep cliff overlooking the Aegean Sea, featuring multi-story buildings with wooden balconies that appear to hang from the rock fac...

The Saint Panteleimon Monastery, commonly known as the Rossikon, is an Eastern Orthodox monastery located on Mount Athos in Greece. Originally founded in the 11th century, it has historically served as the primary center for Russian Orthodox monasticism on the peninsula. The complex is visually dist...

Pantokrator Monastery is an Eastern Orthodox monastery located on the eastern side of the Athos peninsula in Greece. Founded in the 14th century, it is ranked seventh in the hierarchical order of the twenty monasteries on Mount Athos. The complex is dedicated to the Transfiguration of Christ and fea...

Dochiariou Monastery is an Eastern Orthodox monastery located on Mount Athos in northern Greece, ranking tenth in the hierarchical order of the twenty monasteries on the peninsula. It is dedicated to the Archangels Michael and Gabriel and was founded in the 10th century, traditionally attributed to...

The Xenophontos Monastery is an Eastern Orthodox Christian monastery situated on the monastic republic of Mount Athos in northern Greece. Dedicated to Saint George, it ranks sixteenth in the hierarchical order of the 20 Athonite monasteries and was established during the 10th or 11th century. The co...

Zografou Monastery is a Bulgarian Orthodox monastery on Mount Athos, Greece, founded in the late 10th century, serving as the primary spiritual center for Bulgarian monks.

The Girdle of the Virgin Mary, woven by the apostles and later given to an Orthodox monk, is a highly venerated relic at Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos, Greece.

The Belt of the Theotokos is a textile relic venerated in Eastern Orthodox tradition as the cincture worn by Mary, the mother of Jesus. Portions of the relic are preserved at Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos in Greece, where they are associated with pilgrimage, liturgical observance, and accounts o...