monastic community of Mount Athos

Also known as Athonic State, Athonite State

community of monks on the Mount Athos peninsula - autonomous part of the Greek state

Key facts

Sovereign state: Greece
Capital: Karyes
Official languages: Greek
Common languages: Greek (main language) Bulgarian (in Zograf ) Romanian (in Lakkoskiti and Prodromos ) Russian (in St. Panteleimon ) Serbian (in Hilandar )
Demonym s: Athonite Agiorite
Government: Monastic community
Ecumenical patriarch: Bartholomew I
Protepistate: Elder Stephanos of Hilandar
Civil administrator: Alkiviadis Stefanis
Total: 336 km (130 sq mi)
Highest elevation: 2,033 m (6,670 ft)
2021 estimate: 1,746

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Article

The monastic community living on the Mount Athos peninsula is an Eastern Orthodox community of monks living in Northern Greece. The community enjoys autonomous self-government within the borders of the peninsula.

The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs manages relations between Athos and the Government of Greece. The community includes 20 monasteries and dependent settlements. The monasteries house around 2,000 Eastern Orthodox monks from Greece and many other countries, including Eastern Orthodox countries such as Serbia, Romania, Moldova, Georgia, Bulgaria, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Ukraine and Russia, who vow to live an ascetic life at Athos, isolated from the rest of the world. The Athonite monasteries feature a rich collection of well-preserved artifacts, rare books, ancient documents, and artworks of immense historical value, and Mount Athos has been listed as a World Heritage Site since 1988.