Latest news with #Monastery
14-05-2025
On Greece's Mount Athos, a cliffside monastery transcends country-based branches of Orthodoxy
MOUNT ATHOS, Greece -- MOUNT ATHOS, Greece (AP) — The medieval monastery clings almost impossibly to sheer cliffs high above the shimmering turquoise of the Aegean Sea. Rising from the rugged granite rock, its walls enclose a diverse Christian Orthodox community. The Monastery of Simonos Petra, also known as Simonopetra — or Simon's Rock — transcends country-based branches of the Christian faith, embracing monks from across the world, including converts from nations where Orthodox Christianity is not the prevailing religion. The monastery is one of 20 in the autonomous all-male monastic community of Mount Athos, known in Greek as Agion Oros, or Holy Mountain. The peninsula in northern Greece is no stranger to non-Greeks: of the 20 monasteries, one is Russian, one is Bulgarian and one is Serbian, and the presence of monks from other nations is not unusual. But Simonos Petra has the greatest range of nationalities. 'Spiritually, there are no borders, because the Holy Mountain has an ecumenical nature' seeking to embrace all, said Archimandrite Eliseos, the abbot of Simonos Petra. This links back to the Byzantine Empire, Eliseos explained. 'We say that Byzantium was a commonwealth ... in which (different) peoples lived together in the same faith.' The monastery welcomes anyone who would like to visit — provided they are male. In a more than 1,000-year-old tradition, women are banned from the entire peninsula, which is deemed the Virgin Mary's domain. While men from other faiths can spend a few days at Mount Athos as visitors, only Orthodox men can become monks. Most of Simonos Petra's 65 monks hail from European countries where Orthodoxy is the predominant religion, such as Romania, Serbia, Russia, Moldova, Cyprus and Greece. But there are others from China, Germany, Hungary, the United States, Australia, France, Lebanon and Syria. Founded in the 13th century by Saint Simon the Myrrh-bearer, the seven-story Simonos Petra is considered an audacious marvel of Byzantine architecture. Renowned for its ecclesiastical choir, the monastery has become a symbol of resilience during its long history, recovering from three destructive fires — the most recent in the late 1800s — to embrace global Orthodoxy. It was within these walls nearly 20 years ago that Father Isaiah — who like other monks goes by one name — found the answer to a lifelong spiritual quest that had spanned half the globe. Born in Vietnam to Chinese parents, the now 50-year-old monk grew up in Switzerland, where his family moved when he was a child. 'In this Swiss environment, I was trying to understand what I'm doing, where I'm going, what is the meaning of life,' he explained on a recent morning, standing on a fifth-floor balcony next to a winch used to bring supplies up from the monastery's storerooms in wicker baskets. 'While searching I found some answers through virtue, and this virtue was connected to the image of Orthodoxy,' he said, his fluent Greek bearing a hint of a foreign accent. Delving into this new faith, he found relationships based on love and a search for God, he said. His quest led him to an Orthodox monastery in France affiliated with Simonos Petra. That, in turn, led him to Mount Athos in 2006. 'It was in essence a deep searching of spiritual life, which is the answer for the meaning of life,' he said. Within the monastery, he found a brotherhood of monks from 14 countries. He decided to stay. 'We gather together with some principles, which are those of love towards our neighbor and the love for God,' Isaiah said. In the human and spiritual connections he experienced in Simonos Petras, 'I found a deep answer to everything I had been seeking in my youth.' Life in the monastery — and across Mount Athos — has changed little in the more than 1,000 years of religious presence there. Days begin long before dawn and are punctuated by prayer services followed by daily tasks, which can include farming, carpentry, winemaking, cooking, art, clerical and ecclesiastical work. Set among forested slopes, nearly every inch of Simonos Petra's land is cultivated, with the monks tending to herbs, fruit and vegetables used in the monastery's kitchen. Electricity comes from sustainable sources such as solar panels. Father Serafeim, a Lebanese-Syrian who has lived in the monastery since 2010, said Eliseos and his predecessor as abbot, the Elder Emilianos, had always embraced foreigners. 'You don't feel that you're a stranger, you feel from the start that you're an equal member of the brotherhood,' said Serafeim, who joined the monastic community seven years after he first arrived in Greece to study theology in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki. 'This spirit, this open spirit of the elder attracted many souls who were searching for a genuine, emphatic meaning of life,' he said. One of the oldest non-Greek monks in the monastery is Father Makarios. The Frenchman's spiritual quest began in May 1968, when as a young man he experienced first-hand the social uprising sparked by student demonstrations in Paris. His search led him to Mount Athos for the first time in 1975. 'I found this monastery and an embrace,' he said. 'I found people who understood and accepted me. They didn't judge me. It was very easy for me to decide that in the end, after I finish my studies, I will come to Mount Athos, I will try to see if I can become a monk.' Converting from Catholicism to Orthodoxy in Mount Athos, Makarios is now the monastery's librarian. He has been living in Simonos Petra for 46 years. Eliseos, the abbot, stresses his monastery is open to all visitors. 'We say we are open to people with love,' he says. 'Someone comes along and wants to visit Mount Athos, he visits it. … Does he want to take it further? We say: 'Let's discuss it, with your will'. What does he want? Does he want to participate in this life, does he want to enter into our spirit, embrace our values and our faith? We will accept that. We will not discriminate.'
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Time of India
On Greece's Mount Athos, a cliffside monastery transcends country-based branches of Orthodoxy
AP file photo MOUNT ATHOS : The medieval monastery clings almost impossibly to sheer cliffs high above the shimmering turquoise of the Aegean Sea. Rising from the rugged granite rock, its walls enclose a diverse Christian Orthodox community. The Monastery of Simonos Petra , also known as Simonopetra, or Simon's Rock, transcends country-based branches of the Christian faith, embracing monks from across the world, including converts from nations where Orthodox Christianity is not the prevailing religion. The monastery is one of 20 in the autonomous all-male monastic community of Mount Athos, known in Greek as Agion Oros, or Holy Mountain. The peninsula in northern Greece is no stranger to non-Greeks: of the 20 monasteries, one is Russian, one is Bulgarian and one is Serbian, and the presence of monks from other nations is not unusual. But Simonos Petra has the greatest range of nationalities. Spirituality transcends borders "Spiritually, there are no borders, because the Holy Mountain has an ecumenical nature" seeking to embrace all, said Archimandrite Eliseos, the abbot of Simonos Petra. This links back to the Byzantine Empire, Eliseos explained. "We say that Byzantium was a commonwealth ... in which (different) peoples lived together in the same faith." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Google Brain Co-Founder Andrew Ng, Recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo The monastery welcomes anyone who would like to visit - provided they are male. In a more than 1,000-year-old tradition, women are banned from the entire peninsula, which is deemed the Virgin Mary's domain. While men from other faiths can spend a few days at Mount Athos as visitors, only Orthodox men can become monks. Most of Simonos Petra's 65 monks hail from European countries where Orthodoxy is the predominant religion, such as Romania, Serbia, Russia, Moldova, Cyprus and Greece. But there are others from China, Germany, Hungary, the United States, Australia, France, Lebanon and Syria. Founded in the 13th century by Saint Simon the Myrrh-bearer, the seven-story Simonos Petra is considered an audacious marvel of Byzantine architecture. Renowned for its ecclesiastical choir, the monastery has become a symbol of resilience during its long history, recovering from three destructive fires - the most recent in the late 1800s - to embrace global Orthodoxy. A lifelong quest It was within these walls nearly 20 years ago that Father Isaiah , who like other monks goes by one name, found the answer to a lifelong spiritual quest that had spanned half the globe. Born in Vietnam to Chinese parents, the now 50-year-old monk grew up in Switzerland, where his family moved when he was a child. "In this Swiss environment, I was trying to understand what I'm doing, where I'm going, what is the meaning of life," he explained on a recent morning, standing on a fifth-floor balcony next to a winch used to bring supplies up from the monastery's storerooms in wicker baskets. "While searching I found some answers through virtue, and this virtue was connected to the image of Orthodoxy," he said, his fluent Greek bearing a hint of a foreign accent. Delving into this new faith, he found relationships based on love and a search for God, he said. His quest led him to an Orthodox monastery in France affiliated with Simonos Petra. That, in turn, led him to Mount Athos in 2006. "It was in essence a deep searching of spiritual life, which is the answer for the meaning of life," he said. Within the monastery, he found a brotherhood of monks from 14 countries. He decided to stay. "We gather together with some principles, which are those of love towards our neighbor and the love for God," Isaiah said. In the human and spiritual connections he experienced in Simonos Petras , "I found a deep answer to everything I had been seeking in my youth." Monastery life in the monastery, and across Mount Athos, has changed little in the more than 1,000 years of religious presence there. Days begin long before dawn and are punctuated by prayer services followed by daily tasks, which can include farming, carpentry, winemaking, cooking, art, clerical and ecclesiastical work. Set among forested slopes, nearly every inch of Simonos Petra's land is cultivated, with the monks tending to herbs, fruit and vegetables used in the monastery's kitchen. Electricity comes from sustainable sources such as solar panels. Embracing foreigners Father Serafeim, a Lebanese-Syrian who has lived in the monastery since 2010, said Eliseos and his predecessor as abbot, the Elder Emilianos , had always embraced foreigners. "You don't feel that you're a stranger, you feel from the start that you're an equal member of the brotherhood," said Serafeim, who joined the monastic community seven years after he first arrived in Greece to study theology in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki. "This spirit, this open spirit of the elder attracted many souls who were searching for a genuine, emphatic meaning of life," he said. One of the oldest non-Greek monks in the monastery is Father Makarios . The Frenchman's spiritual quest began in May 1968, when as a young man he experienced first-hand the social uprising sparked by student demonstrations in Paris. His search led him to Mount Athos for the first time in 1975. "I found this monastery and an embrace," he said. "I found people who understood and accepted me. They didn't judge me. It was very easy for me to decide that in the end, after I finish my studies, I will come to Mount Athos, I will try to see if I can become a monk." Converting from Catholicism to Orthodoxy in Mount Athos, Makarios is now the monastery's librarian. He has been living in Simonos Petra for 46 years. All (men) are welcome Eliseos, the abbot, stresses his monastery is open to all visitors. "We say we are open to people with love," he says. "Someone comes along and wants to visit Mount Athos, he visits it. ... Does he want to take it further? We say: 'Let's discuss it, with your will'. What does he want? Does he want to participate in this life, does he want to enter into our spirit, embrace our values and our faith? We will accept that. We will not discriminate."
Associated Press
14-05-2025
- Associated Press
AP PHOTOS: Orthodox monks carry on a tradition of monastic life at a cliffside Greek monastery
MOUNT ATHOS, Greece (AP) — The Monastery of Simonos Petra clings almost impossibly to a sheer cliff above the Aegean Sea in northern Greece. Also known as Simonopetra or Simon's Rock, the Christian Orthodox monastery transcends country-based branches of the faith by embracing monks from across the world, including converts from non-Orthodox nations. The monastery is one of 20 in the autonomous all-male monastic community of Mount Athos, known in Greek as Agion Oros, or Holy Mountain. The peninsula is no stranger to foreigners. Of the 20 monasteries, one is Russian, one is Bulgarian and one is Serbian, and the presence of monks from other nations is not unusual. But it is in Simonos Petra where the greatest range of nationalities lies. ____ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
The Irish Sun
08-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
One of the cheapest Greek islands that is set to be popular as TUI adds more hotels
THE island of Thassos in Greece is often overlooked in favour of other Greek islands - but is set to get even more popular. With both an airport on the island and connections via ferry to the mainland, Thassos is a great alternative holiday spot in Greece if wanting to spend less money . Advertisement 8 The island has 34 beaches in total Credit: Alamy 8 Many of the beaches have numerous facilities for visitors Credit: Alamy 8 And there are many towns and villages to explore on the island Credit: Alamy Holiday packages to the island can be found for relatively cheap, from £189pp with TUI. And demand for holidays to the island are also increasing. Steffen Boehnke, head of TUI product management sun & beach said Thassos is one of the "smaller, more authentic" islands seeing an increase in holidays. The tour operator has increased the number of budget three-star hotels in response to the withdrawal of FTI and expanded its range of flights. Advertisement Read more on Greece He said: "This means a greater choice, so families and price-conscious holidaymakers in particular can travel on the same budget as last summer," reports Thassos boasts different activities meaning it caters to many different interests as a destination. One of the main destinations on the island is the Ancient Agora, a site with old temples, remains of sanctuaries, an ancient theatre and other buildings. Occasionally the site is used for performances of ancient dramas and comedies. Advertisement Most read in News Travel There is also the Monastery of Archangel Michael, protector of the island - which has a great view over the sea. The ministry is the biggest and most popular monastery of Thassos and houses a collection of religious articles and works created by the monks. The completely stress-free way to island hop in Greece - discovering its less-crowded beaches & towns Interestingly, the Monastery of Archangel Michael is exclusively female and is built on the edge of a cliff. As for towns and villages on the mining industry in the 20th century. Advertisement You can still see the turreted mining headquarters on the headland overlooking Limenaria Beach and there's a mine which travellers can take tours of. Limenaria is also where the old port is located and is a picturesque neighborhood to enjoy a coffee by the sea. For those who prefer to explore nature, the island has many And across the island there are a total of 34 beautiful beaches. Advertisement Paradise Beach is considered one of the best swimming spots in Limenas, on the island, because it resembles tropical waters. 8 The old port is located in the town of Limenaria Credit: Alamy 8 Thassos also boasts many historical sites and ruins Credit: Alamy 8 One beach in particular has been noted for resembling a 'tropical destination' Credit: Alamy Advertisement The beach has fine white sand and azure blue, shallow waters. It is also surrounded by green mountains and can be reached via a narrow alley passing through a small woodland area. Alternatively, visitors can head to a Here the rock formations have created a natural pool where people can swim. Advertisement For a while it has been popular destination with Instagrammers, who are often seen jump from the rocks and plunging into the water below. When it comes to eating, the island has numerous restaurants, cafes and bars with traditional taverns serving classic Greek cuisine. It takes around three-and-a-half hours to fly to the island. There are also a number of Advertisement Plus, 8 The island also has a historic monastery which has views across the ocean Credit: Alamy 8 Holidays cost as little as £189 per person Credit: Alamy
Associated Press
11-04-2025
- Associated Press
An AP photographer uses the clouds to give his shot depth and clarity
AMORGOS, Greece (AP) — Petros Giannakouris is an award-winning Greek photojournalist. He is a staff photographer with The Associated Press, based in Athens since 2003. During more than two decades of working with the AP, he has covered major global events including wars in Iraq, Ukraine, Afghanistan and the middle east; earthquakes, floods and wildfires; as well as the refugee and financial crises in Greece. He has also covered four Summer Olympic Games. Here is what he had to say about this extraordinary photo. Why this photo? This photograph is part of a photo essay I created on the Greek island of Amorgos. It's a visual story about Father Spyridon, the monk depicted in the image, who has been living in the Monastery of Panagia Hozoviotissa for the past 54 years. I stayed at the monastery for about a week, documenting his life with respect and discretion. From the very beginning, I was struck by the beauty of the balcony overlooking the Aegean Sea — a place where the eye can travel endlessly. I knew this scene would be one of the key images of the project. How I made this photo By my second day at the monastery, I noticed that around 8:30 in the morning — after the morning prayer — Father Spyridon would step out of his cell and walk along the monastery's balcony. So, every morning, I tried to be ready for that moment. The challenge was always the light. The sun had already risen, and often the background would be blown out, losing depth. But on this particular day, the clouds helped a lot. They softened and balanced the light, giving the image depth and clarity. A key element is also the movement in his cassock, caught by the wind — a small detail that adds life and a sense of motion to the frame. Why this photo works It's a photo with beautiful light, multiple layers, and a strong sense of depth - all elements that enhance a photograph and keep the viewer engaged. At the same time, it allows the viewer to 'read' the space: to clearly see the monastery, its unique architecture and the location where it has stood for over a thousand years, carved into the cliff. And above all, the image has life — Father Spyridon walking through the courtyard brings movement, and a human presence.
