Going on a pilgrimage tour to Athos means getting to know the spiritual life of the Holy Mountain, seeing unique icons and holy relics that are venerated by Orthodox people (one of 20 monasteries is Russian). Unfortunately, women cannot go on such a trip - they are allowed to admire the local shrines exclusively from the boats.
Pilgrimage to Athos
Pilgrims with holy orders go to Mount Athos with the blessing of the Ecumenical Patriarch. It is much easier for lay pilgrims to get here - for this they need to obtain a Greek visa and permission (diamonithirion) to enter the Holy Mountain. It makes sense for them to contact a pilgrim organization - its employees will help in obtaining diamonithirion from the Athos monastery, where the pilgrim plans to live for a certain time.
Diamonithirion lasts 4 days; The approximate cost is 25 euros, it is presented to pilgrims at the office of the Pilgrimage Bureau in Ouranoupoli on the day of sailing to Athos. With him, the pilgrim must go first of all to the monastery to which he sent the petition, after which he can take up the inspection of other Athonite monasteries and cells. Important: a ticket for any ship must be booked in advance on your own or by using the services of the pilgrimage service, which will assist you in organizing your trip to Athos.
Description of the main monasteries on Athos
- Monastery of Simon Peter: on the territory of the complex there are 4 churches (outside - 8 more), the main of them is the Church of the Nativity of Christ. Of the monastery shrines, it is worth highlighting the right hand of Mary Magdalene, the relics of Barbara and Evdokia, a part of the Life-giving Lord's Cross.
- Great Lavra: famous for its library (stores 100 manuscripts, more than 2000 manuscripts, 20,000 books, the Codex of Mount Athos), 16th century frescoes (work of Theophanes of Crete), miraculous icons ("Kukuzelissa", "Economissa"), the rod and the cross of St. Athanasius, the relics of Michael Sinadsky, Basil the Great and other saints.
- Monastery of St. Panteleimon: it is crowned with typically Russian domes - onions and gilded crosses, and services are held here in Greek and Church Slavonic. The monastery has small churches and chapels, a refectory for 800 people, 5 cells, a library (stores 20,000 volumes) and other buildings. As for the shrines, the monastery contains the foot of St. Andrew the First-Called, the relics of Panteleimon, Peter, John the Baptist and others.
- Monastery Pantokrator: guests of the monastery will be able to see fragments of the Life-giving Cross, particles of the relics of Andrew, Athanasius the Great and John Chrysostom, bow to the icons of the 14th century, in particular the icon "Gerontissa".
- Monastery of Iveron: the relics of various saints are worshiped here, as well as the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Portaitissa”.
