Hilandar Monastery

Hilandar was co-founded in 1198 by Saint Sava and his father Stefan Nemanja, who had abdicated the Serbian throne and become the monk Simeon. The Byzantine Emperor Alexios III Angelos granted them the ruined monastery site on Mount Athos to rebuild as a Serbian foundation.

Hilandar ranks fourth in the hierarchy of the twenty ruling monasteries of Mount Athos, reflecting its historical importance and the significant patronage it received from medieval Serbian rulers. It is the primary Serbian monastery on the Holy Mountain.

Hilandar served as the spiritual, cultural, and literary center of medieval Serbia, with its scriptorium producing some of the most important works of Old Serbian literature. Saint Sava, Serbia's most revered saint, wrote the Karyes Typikon while residing there, and the monastery remains under the jurisdiction of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Like all Athonite monasteries, Hilandar is open only to male visitors who obtain a diamonitirion (pilgrim permit) from the Mount Athos authorities in advance. Serbian Orthodox pilgrims receive priority access, but visitors of other nationalities can also apply through the Pilgrims' Bureau in Ouranoupolis.