The Orthodox Vatican

Mount Athos is the easternmost and largest of the three peninsulas of the Halkidiki peninsula in the Aegean Sea, featuring the Athos mountain range, 47 km long, with Mount Athos reaching a height of 2033 meters. Mount Athos is home to an Orthodox "monastic republic" and 20 monasteries (Orthodox abbeys). Currently, approximately 2000 monks reside there, and, according to ancient tradition, women are still not allowed to enter. For Orthodox Christians, Athos holds a unique significance as one of the spiritual centers of Orthodoxy.

According to legend, the Virgin Mary is buried there, having found refuge in the area during the persecution of the apostles. In her memory, a law exists on Mount Athos that no woman is allowed to enter the entire peninsula, nor can any female animal be present. This decree was established in 1045 by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine IX.

In the 4th century, Emperor Theodosius the Great had the first church dedicated to the Virgin Mary built there. In the 5th century, the first monastery was established, and in 885, Emperor Basil I declared Athos a residence for monks and hermits. By the 11th century, most of the 20 monasteries, as well as cells and hermitages, were already in place. The Byzantine Empire significantly supported the monasteries, making Athos an Orthodox cultural and religious center until the 15th century. After the fall of the Byzantine Empire, the situation deteriorated, and the monasteries survived only thanks to the patronage of Christian rulers from the Danube region. In 1794, the Athos School was founded, the monasteries grew, new monks arrived, and Athos experienced its golden age. Athos experienced a revival in 1826 when monks who had fled from the Turks returned.

In the 19th century, a large number of Russian monks flocked to Athos. On November 5, 1912, the Greek flag was raised in a small port town, and in 1924, Greece recognized the legal sovereignty of the Athos territory.

The image depicts the interior of one of the Athos churches, where a mosaic depicting the Virgin Mary is located in the apse. Sunlight streams in from the right, illuminating the church, which is also lit by numerous candles. Priests stand before the iconostasis and offer pilgrims the relics of saints to kiss. In the glow of the light, cherubim float, carrying models of four other Orthodox monasteries: Chiliandar is Serbian, Pantaleimon is Russian, Zoograf and Vatoped are Bulgarian. Behind the cherubim, we see depictions of four abbots – the heads of the aforementioned monasteries. In the foreground, a young man supports an elderly blind man – the young man is another self-portrait by Mucha.

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