25.06.2013
Полуостров Афон — это жилище православныхmonks, it’s impossible for women to get here. Get on it possible only by sea, land border is carefully guarded. Well, and on the pier, where ships depart for Athos, is carried out a thorough examination of passengers, whether it was not happening among the pilgrims and tourists dressed in a man’s dress woman.
Peninsula Athos keeps many secrets: even in ancient times Greece, this place was considered holy. Then on the peninsula were two large temples dedicated to Apollo and Zeus. Temple dedicated Zeus was called Athos, it was from here that the name of the entire peninsula.
According to ancient legends, after the adoption of Christianity by the Greeks, the mother of Jesus, together with his apostles, went to Cyprus. On my way, just near the peninsula, there was a terrible storm. Ship urgently moored at Athos. When the Virgin went down on the land, all the ancient pagan buildings and temples collapsed, and numerous idols proclaimed her coming to shore language. Many locals, seeing such a miracle, instantly believed in god, and immediately baptized. Since then the land Peninsula Athos became the earthly abode of the Blessed Virgin. At that At the same time, an icon of the Iberian Mother of God appeared on the peninsula. legend she came straight through the water. It is believed that at that moment, when this icon leaves Athos, the end of the world will come.
For a long time a settlement founded by monks on the Holy Mount Athos, was quite small. Only in 963 was erected the first rather large monastery. The founder practically of the whole structure existing up to now is considered Athanasius Athos. The abode of St. Athanasius can still be inspect on the peninsula, now it is called Great Lavra. Soon Xonurg was built on Mount Athos, the first Russian temple on this earth.
At dawn on Mount Athos there were about 180 Orthodox monasteries. Unfortunately, such a “golden age” of the holy places lasted not very long. Athos was initially subordinate to Byzantium, accordingly had many rights, and later received the status autonomy. But, over time, Byzantium ceased to be strong. protector. In this regard, Athos had to make every effort to independent existence, enduring many oppression and persecution from the catholic roman church. As a result of this, on Athos survived only 25 monasteries. It was easier to heal only in the middle. 19th century, when Greece gained independence.
On Athos, there is an ancient legend. If you believe her, then in secret cells located somewhere underground, live 12 monks. They are not shown in public, only a few have seen them. When one of these the elders die, they bury him, and then they call on one of the monks Athos. While choosing the most worthy. If you believe the legend, it is by these old men that the last liturgy will be read, during, when the end of the world happens.
In our time, Athos is a completely independent state. It lives by its own laws and rules, and all the important events in life Athos, are decided by a vote among the representatives of 20 monasteries. Virtually the entire life of the monks of the monasteries, flows into pronunciation of prayers and hard homework. Prayers are read strictly according to church rules in the morning and evening. Everything the rest of the time, the monks cultivate the land, breed domestic animals, study the holy writings. The life of monks is simple and ascetic. It’s not so easy to visit Mount Athos need to get special permission “diamonitirion”.
As for women, now they cannot go to Athos. But as was the case before, the question is rather complicated. In the first the rulebook of Athos states that the holy place must not be visited eunuchs, children and boys. About women is silent. With another parties, the women’s visit to the monastery is forbidden definition. Officially, the ban on women in the peninsula, appeared in the 15th century, and since that time no woman has been on the lands of Athos. But this is the official version. And if you believe the legends, then several times to these holy places, contrary to all prohibitions, a woman was making her way. And already in our time bans repeatedly managed Women have written not one book about how they conducted certain time in the forbidden place. The authorities even had to accept the law that illegally made its way to the island of women, punishment in the form of 1 year imprisonment.
Nowadays for women who have been taken with them by uncalculated husbands, open a campsite next to the pier, which leave ship to Athos. Officially, women can be familiar with the monasteries. only from a certain distance, sailing on a ship past the island.
