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Journey to Greece's Mount Athos - The Miami Herald
November 23, 2008

BY DAVE G. HOUSER
SPECIAL TO THE MIAMI HERALD

Brother Job twists and jiggles the big brass key and eases open the charnel house door. My eyes struggle in the dimness, and I blink in disbelief, confirming what I think I'm seeing -- row upon row of human skulls!

I've viewed specimens of mankind's top-piece at archaeological digs, museums and memorials worldwide. I have even slept beneath rafters laced with them in the longhouses of former headhunters in Borneo. But what makes these examples at Skete Prophet Elias, a small monastery in the Monastic Republic of Holy Mount Athos in Greece, so riveting is that they have inscriptions scrawled across their foreheads.

My first impression is that this is some sort of posthumous inventory system. Brother Job, a young monk at Prophet Elias, must be reading my mind as he hastens to explain.

''When a monk dies, his body is buried in the earth. After three years the grave is opened and the bones transferred to a common burial chamber,'' he says.

There is one exception.

''The skull alone,'' adds Job, ``is placed on a shelf with those of earlier brothers -- with just the name and dates of birth and death inscribed on the forehead.''

This may be more than I need to know about life -- and death -- at Skete Prophet Elias. I am thrilled, however, to have found Brother Job, an American, but more importantly, an English-speaking monk. I have been wandering about the holy mountain for going on three days, and Job is the first soul I've encountered with whom I can converse beyond the basic utterances and hopeful hand signs that have at least managed to secure me food and shelter.

I had met Job just this morning in Karyes, a dusty little town that serves as the administrative center of Mount Athos. There is a ''government'' office that deals with matters of customs, immigration and health, and there are a few shops.

I'd been hiking into Karyes each day to meet passengers arriving on the ferry from Ouranoupolis, hoping that one of them would be my friend, Aris Drivas, who was supposed to have met me here three days ago. Being phoneless is usually fine with me. But on this occasion it would have been good to know that Aris, an Athens yacht broker, had been delayed and would not make it to Mount Athos until today.

I'm hanging out, waiting, when I spot Job wheeling a small farm tractor up to the health office. He's towing a cart holding another black-robed monk who is cradling his jaw as if in the throes of a painful toothache.

Certain that I've heard Job speaking English as he ushered his brethren into the building, I wait for him to come out. During the time it takes to extract an impacted molar, I learn more about Mount Athos from Job than I have in the last three days.

During an Aegean sailing trip the week before, Aris had invited me to accompany him to Mount Athos, where he sometimes employs monks at Pantokrator Monastery to hand- make pieces for his boats. He would arrange the necessary permits and meet me there. All I knew about Mount Athos was that it is an enclave of monasteries on an isolated peninsula in northeastern Greece.

WHERE TIME STOPPED

Clearly it is much more than that. It is the Middle Ages -- not re-created for touristic effect, but for real. Mount Athos is a place of such mysterious other-worldly power that visiting it is like stepping out of time.

Mount Athos is an Eastern Orthodox monastic republic. It is a long-surviving administrative unit of the Byzantine Empire, an autonomous mini-state within Greece that still operates under a charter granted by a Byzantine emperor at Constantinople in the 10th century A.D.

Like the Vatican, it has many characteristics of an independent state. Visitors (males only, and a maximum of 10 per day) must have passports and entry permits and must undergo customs inspections. Occasionally physical examinations are required. The exclusion of women is strictly enforced.

Today this male stronghold comprises 20 large monasteries and dozens of smaller ones (sketes) and individual hermitages. It is home to about 2,500 monks of the Eastern Orthodox Church: Greek, Russian, Serbian, Bulgarian and Romanian, plus a few other nationalities, including Americans.

A WORLD APART

Culturally and geographically speaking, Athos is a world apart. Its fortified Byzantine-style monasteries, most built between the 10th and 15th centuries, are scattered over a hilly, heavily forested peninsula a bit more than seven miles wide and 34.8 miles long. Near its tip is Mount Athos, a barren spire soaring 6,670 feet above the Aegean Sea and accessible only by boat.

Ah, the boat! By bringing my friend Aris, it, too, has added to my blessings, which are finally catching up with me in a place where blessings are the stock in trade.

Brother Job invites Aris and me to stay at Prophet Elias and, obliging, we hike along behind Job on his tractor, towing a much-relieved monk up through scrubby hillsides covered with patches of gardens and vines. I spot tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, corn, peas, beans and artichokes. There are apricot and olive trees and grapes.

The high-domed monasteries of Mount Athos are, for the most part, true architectural gems. Fine brickwork was Byzantium's calling, and it is evident everywhere.

Built by Russians in the 18th century, Prophet Elias is relatively new to Mount Athos, but it is a splendid example of the traditional arch-and-dome Byzantine style. It was built to accommodate almost a hundred monks, but during Soviet times in Russia, so few monks came to Prophet Elias that it faced abandonment. Then a small group of monks from upstate New York came to Athos to rescue the skete.

''It is good that we could come and help preserve this wonderful space,'' says Job, the only resident of the skete now willing to talk to me ''on the record,'' since word is out that I'm a journalist, ``and, as you can see, it is like heaven on Earth here.''

That's hardly an overstatement. With its bountiful orchards and gardens, its winery, olive mill and old stone bakery, Prophet Elias could pass for a rustic Tuscany estate -- the kind you can rent for $5,000 a week. But it costs us nothing to stay here.

MYSTICISM, MOTION

To an outsider, especially a non-Orthodox, there is much about Mount Athos that seems secretive and spiritual. Upon entering a church here, I'm dumbstruck by the mysticism and motion -- monks bowing, praying, prostrating, swinging their censers, kissing icons, chanting and singing -- during services that go on for hours every evening.

Even the system of timekeeping on Mount Athos is out of sync for the outsider. Clocks here run on Byzantine time that begins the day at sunset. Dates are calculated according to the Julian calendar of ancient Rome, which varies by 13 days from the modern Gregorian calendar used in most of the world.

The monks of Mount Athos are sworn to an ascetic life of chastity, obedience and poverty. They believe their monasteries should remain cut off from the affairs of the world.

There is no radio or television and, in fact, most monasteries have no electricity, relying on petroleum lamps or candles for lighting. The monks seek to live, pray and die just as their predecessors have done for more than a thousand years.

Central to much of the secrecy shrouding Mount Athos over the centuries is the vast hoard of Byzantine art, icons, relics and manuscripts, some displayed but most cloistered in monastery vaults. It has been said that much of the wealth of Constantinople was secreted away to Athos as the Byzantine Empire began to crumble.

The quality and extent of the collection was unveiled in part to the public in a year-long exhibit, The Treasures of Mount Athos, staged from 1997 to 1998 at the Museum of Byzantine Culture in the nearby port city of Thessaloniki. It took nearly 10 years to organize, but 16 monasteries agreed to loan 600 items for the first-ever public showing in more than a thousand years of some of the world's most important religious art.

Most visitors are hopeful of viewing art collections at monasteries where they stay. Some monasteries allow it and some don't, but there's less secrecy surrounding the treasures since the 1997 exhibit.

Monastery meals are served family-style and guests are invited to sit in. Dinner this evening at Prophet Elias consists of a thick, hearty lentil soup, dark multigrain bread, sliced tomato and cucumber, and black olives. Served with it is a suitably dry and very drinkable white wine, said to be a variety of muscat, locally grown for centuries.

This is not a feast, nor is it much of a social affair. The monks eat quickly and sparingly and there's little conversation. I'm learning to go for larger initial servings because there are seldom any seconds. I suppose that it is best not to be sated for evening services.

I'm awake most of the night. Aris and I have been assigned small cells like those occupied by resident monks. A pad no thicker than a small-town phone book tops a narrow wooden bunk. There's a sink with a pewter basin, next to which sits a bucket of water. It's a combination that suffices as a shower. A solitary candle offers what light it can, but not enough to read by.

It is the call to early liturgy service that jars me from a cheeseburger dream.

The fact is that Prophet Elias is a monastery, not a resort hotel or a Tuscany estate. Through the centuries, the monks of Mount Athos have extended hospitality at no cost, offering at least a day's board and bread to any and all visitors. But as unique and fascinating as it is, Mount Athos is not a tourist destination. It is a refuge for men who are deeply dedicated to their religion.

Out of respect for the monks, I won't be returning, content to dwell for my remaining days on those rare, one-of-a-kind memories of a trip out of time.

Has anyone (clergy or laity) on this forum ever been to Mt. Athos? If so, we would love you to share your experience. I think it would make for a refreshing thread.

Alice

Alice,

Feel free to put this elsewhere, but I just returned and I'll share a bit of my experience.

I really don't think that, fundamentally, there was anything there that you can't find in American Orthodoxy (or for that matter at the churches in Thessaloniki). What really makes the place special is its peace and prayerful atmosphere - so conducive to hesychia and nepsis- as well as all its relics, the many beautiful and wonderworking icons, the beautiful prayerful music and the experience with the monks. The first monk I met was an elderly monk of (what I believe to be) great holiness, who told me that he was lower than my shoes (and who then asked me to send him an American novel from the 1960s!).

A few of the great things:

- Vatopedi was great. Masterful icons from the Roman era (several Roman emperors were even monks here), and their chant sounds EXACTLY like their Holy Week CDs, which I consider among the best recordings of Byzantine Chant available. However, it was quite crowded - about 100 monks and an equal number of tourists in November - but they (and the other monasteries I might add) have a tourist management system that rivals Disney in its efficiency. It's most unfortunate that Vatopedi's been unjustly drawn into the Greek political scandal of the day due to (what one non-Vatopedi Athonite described as) PASOK's anticlerical agenda.

(in fact, one young non-Vatopedi Athonite put most of the blame on PASOK for Greece's present sorry state, to include its abortion rate).

- the other monasteries I visited were also stellar, each in their own ways. Athos is not a monolith, and on many issues you can find a range of views and practices.

- it was great to know that you could go to almost the full Byzantine liturgy - Vespers, most of the hours, compline, mesonytikon, Orthros, Divine Liturgy, and various Parakleses - without abbreviations. That said, getting up at 1:30-4:00 in the morning was tough.

- The scenery was beautiful. Walking from monastery to monastery and just quietly hanging around and saying the Jesus prayer was a wonderful way to cultivate hesychia and nepsis. I got around 1200 photos and I'll post the top 3-4 here once they're developed in Photoshop.

That said, there was a lot of unexpected things. Here are a few:

- there were as many - mostly Greek - tourists on the mountain as monks. I'd imagine in higher seasons (e.g. the summer) it's insane. Several Greek I met told me they'd been to the mountain several times.

- there were lots of "Western" style icons around - from the 16-1900s no doubt. This included an icon of the the Holy Trinity where God the Father was depicted as an old whitebearded man. Of course, this kind of thing is "wrong", but even if no one would make such an icon today no one is going to go destroy existing icons.

- Aside from Vatopedi, Stavronikita, Nikolaos Orfanos in Thessaloniki, and some remnants in Saint Dimitrios, I was surprised how little Roman-era iconography remains in the Thessaloniki-Athos area. In fact, some of the best iconography was recent - e.g. the Church of Panagia Dexias, Monastery of St. Theodora, the Metropolitan Cathedral (with many of its best icons dated in the 1990s) in Thessaloniki and the neo-Commenian and neo-Palaelogian iconography being put up at Simonopetra.

- There was surprisingly little negativity towards (my) Catholicism on the Mountain - though this is because I avoided places where I knew they'd be "anti-Catholic". I did get a small number of ignorant polemics. I also had a very long and good conversation of Orthodoxy vs. Catholicism with one Athonite. Some monks (of obvious great experience or education) were even indifferent to or tried to dodge the issue.

This is just a cliff notes version. I'm going to write more when I get more time; those who are interested can PM me their email addresses and I'll send it once I'm done.

Those who want to get a sense of the place are advised to get the CDs from Vatopedi (Holy Week) and Simonopetra (Orthros and Paraklesis are recommended starting points), as well as any of the recent books from the Mountain translated into English. These include Archimandrite Vasilios' "Hymn of Entry" (St. Vladimirs), many of his other books (available from Alexander Press), "The Church at Prayer" by Archimandrite Aemilianos of Simonopetra, as well as "Experiences of the Grace of God" by Archimadrite George of St. Gregorios. All of these area stellar; I'd recommend "the Church at Prayer" as a starting point. Archimandrites Vassilios's books are easily available in the US; I've had a hard time finding "The Church at Prayer" in the US and got my copy at Simonopetra.

Dearest Marcos,

WOW!!! How timely your visit was to be able to share all that with us!

PLEASE, share your thoughts online with us rather than by private message. Post them on Town Hall...it will certainly be a refreshing break from all the usual topics and conversation...THANK YOU so much!

Can you tell us how you went about getting permission to visit?

In Christ,
Alice

I'm with Alice,Marcos.Please tell us more when you can,this is inspiring and fascinating. Perhaps you could tell us something of the spiritual insights given by some of the holy and wise monks you ran across.

Slightly off topic, but I read a very good book by Benedictine monk Father Mark Gruber about his yearlong stay in Coptic monasteries. There were some interesting insights into the powerful influence and importance of Coptic Christianity in Egypt.

In any case, I would still like to hear more about Mt. Athos. Alice, thanks for the thread.

Happy Thanksgiving Day.

Peace,
Indigo

Great thread!

Alice, thanks much for the original post - it was fascinating in its own right.

Marcos, I'm with Alice and Cynthia on their request that you post your longer piece to either the Town Hall or the East-West forum. And, I have to admit a secular curiousity - as to which 1960s novel the monk requested

Many years,

Neil

I also look forward to Marcos' account

Soooooo I'll shout and stamp and rant if it's not posted

AMEN! to the request for your posting here D:

Well, I'll see. I want to get more detailed (and thereby more personal - both for me and the monks) in the longer one, and so I'm not keen on publishing it publicly like this.

But we'll see how things go once it's written.

Markos

Unfortunately, I haven't gotten around to actually writing a longer version of my previous post (even though I may soon give a presentation on it). But one travelog which also reflects much of my experience is here:

http://www.cutsinger.net/wordpress2/?page_id=68

Professor Cutsinger's discussion with Father Maximos of Simonopetra is particularly good.

Dear Markos,

I was anxiously awaiting your journal, but this will definitely do in place of it! I will have to find a little quiet time, pour myself a cup of warm tea and enjoy.

Thanks!

In Christ,
Alice

Alice,
It is a dream of my lifetime. Hope to accomplish this before I die. I will tour Greece and Turkey this fall but unfortunately will not be able to go to Mt Athos this time around.
Does anyone know if this Br Job is the american from San Francisco that went to Mt Athos?
Stephanos I

PS Has anyone read Basil Pennington's book "O Holy Mountain"?
It was one of my spiritual reading books during seminary.
Stephanos I

It is challenging but possible to climb to the peak of Mount Athos, which is marked by a chapel dedicated to the Transfiguration. Those who wish to see the sunrise from the peak are strongly advised to make the climb on the previous day and sleep (or pray) at the peak, rather than attempting the climb in the dark.

Fr. Serge

MarkosC wrote:
- there were lots of "Western" style icons around - from the 16-1900s no doubt. This included an icon of the the Holy Trinity where God the Father was depicted as an old whitebearded man. Of course, this kind of thing is "wrong", but even if no one would make such an icon today no one is going to go destroy existing icons.

-oOo-

It is a point which is eternally debated by the Orthodox and will never be resolved. However one of the greatest of the Athonites and a renowned canonist, Saint Nicodemos of the Holy Mountain, held that the Seventh Ecumenical Council allowed depictions of the Father as the Ancient of Days.

See the last two messages in this thread
https://www.byzcath.org/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/311829/God%20the%20Father#Post311829