Athos the Holy Mountain (Greece) - CBS Documentary
Orthodox Christian Monasteries in the monastic peninsula of mount Athos (Holy Mountaint)
in Chalkidiki, Nothern Greece.
The Holy Mountain Athos (The Garden of the Mother of God) was created by ancient Byzantine emperors to be the spiritual capital of Orthodox Christianity. Millions of Orthodox Christians believe it is the most sacred place on Earth.
There are 2,000 Anthonite monks living in what is the most unique monastery complex in the world; most pray all day. Some monks even tell that they pray while they sleep -- and they only get about three hours of sleep a night. The monks divide their day into three parts: They spend about eight hours a day in church, and when they're not resting their time is dedicated to the work needed to keep the 20 monasteries running. Mt. Athos is also beautiful and has probably changed less than any other inhabited place on the planet. Some of the monasteries here are perched high on cliffs above the Aegean Sea, with sylvan hills as a backdrop and architecture that could have come out of a medieval fairytale. It was the architecture that first attracted a young boy from Winthrop, Mass.
It was just so impressive and I turned around and I said to him, 'Dad, you know, I don't think I am going to believe that somebody lives in that building until I step on those balconies myself, says Fr. Iakovos, one of three monks originally from the U.S. He came to Mt. Athos 25 years ago and he points out that it's not just the way of life that hasn't changed, neither has the Divine Liturgy that the monks celebrate every day. You have to understand, the words that we are saying in today's liturgy are the same words Christ was saying, are the same words that saints from the first century, the second century, the third century, the fourth century.
Over the last millennium, the 20 monasteries here have been a repository for sacred treasures and religious relics that date back to the days of the Byzantine Empire. Father Matthew, from Fond du Lac, Wis., was given special permission by the abbot of Vatopedi Monastery to show just a few of the almost 4,000 religious icons stored there, the highlight, a restored icon of Christ dating from the 14th century.
These priceless artifacts are kept behind lock and key and are rarely seen by pilgrims or even the monks themselves. The lock system was ancient and extraordinary. It requires four separate keys to unlock the door to the inner sanctum, and normally takes at least two monks to unlock the door, because no one monk is allowed to have all four keys at the same time. It could be described as a medieval version of the nuclear launch control.
The rare treasures on Mt. Athos have attracted many invaders over the centuries. Fr Maximos, a former professor at the Harvard Divinity School who is from Long Island, N.Y., tells that the German forces were about to invade the peninsula. The monks met with German officers who told them the only way to save themselves was to make a direct appeal to Hitler. The monks wrote a letter and asked Hitler to place the Holy Mountain under his personal protection and It seems that Hitler liked the idea and accepted the invitation to become the personal protector of the Holy Mountain.
Hitler's plan was to loot the sacred treasures though, and he sent an advance team of academics to photograph and catalogue almost everything on the Holy Mountain. In the end, not a thing was ever taken -- no one really knows why -- possibly divine intervention.
Most monks today consider the Nazi episode a small blip on the road -- after all, the monks there have been devoting their lives to prayer for 1,000 years. They say they try to get as close to God as humanly possible.
NOTE: I do not own the copyrights to this video. All rights belong to their owners.
Mount Athos - UNESCO World Heritage Site
Mount Athos is a unique and fascinating UNESCO World Heritage site. Located at the end of a long narrow peninsula in northern Greece, it's home to 20 Orthodox monasteries and multiple hermit communities as well. It's one of the most important locations in the Orthodox tradition, and there are strict rules in place for visiting. Women are strictly forbidden from visiting (a rule that even extends to female farm animals!), and the small numbers of male visitors are prioritised to Orthodox Christians and monks. Unfortunately this meant we were unable to visit, but we did the next best thing: a boat cruise along the peninsula!
For more Greek World Heritage sites:
For more monastic World Heritage sites:
Monasteries of Daphni, Hosios Loukas, and Nea Moni:
Rila Monastery:
Monastery of Horezu:
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Music: Bensound.com - Happiness
ABKHAZIA - One of the BEAUTIEST MONASTERIES I've ever seen! - Novyi Afon
Another day of Abkhazian trip, and this time I visit the little town called Novyi Afon, or New Athos, which has extremely huge amount of places to see comparing to other sides in Abkhazia... Today I'm gonna show you beautiful monastery of New Athos, built to replace the original Athos monastery and take you to Stalin's holiday house! Keep watching and don't forget to subscribe for more videos!
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Σκαρφάλωσα στη Σιμωνόπετρα | I climbed up to Simonopetra monastery
Μετά την άφιξη στη Μονή Γρηγορίου, ακολουθώ το μονοπάτι και σκαρφαλώνω στη Σιμωνόπετρα που βρίσκεται σε υψόμετρο 300 μέτρων από τη θάλασσα. Η Ιερά μονή Σίμωνος Πέτρας ή νέα Βηθλεέμ είναι το εμβληματικό και ποιο εντυπωσιακό από τα μοναστήρια του Αγίου Όρους, η εικόνα της κοσμεί γραμματόσημα, γκραβούρες, έντυπα. Ανέβηκα στο ποιο ψηλό σημείο, το μπαλκόνι με την εντυπωσιακή θέα. Το καθολικό είναι αφιερωμένο στη γέννηση του Κυρίου. Στην Μονή υπάρχει ακόμα το παρεκκλήσι της Αγίας Mαρίας Μαγδαληνής , η οποία τιμάται ως συνκτητόρισσα και εορτάζει στις 22 Ιουλίου. Η Αγία Μαγδαληνή ήταν μαθήτρια του Χριστού, στη μονή φυλάσσεται το άφθαρτο χέρι της που έχει τη θερμοκρασία του ανθρώπινου σώματος και επιτελεί πολλά θαύματα.
Κίνδυνοι στο Άγιον Όρος και πως να τους αποφύγετε | Dangers at Holy Mount Athos
Το Άγιον Όρος είναι ένα μοναδικό μέρος για τους σύγχρονους ανθρώπους που αναζητούν γαλήνη και στιγμές περισυλλογής και επαφής με το Θεό. Το περιβόλι της Παναγίας μας είναι και ένα περιβάλλον παρθένο και ανέγγιχτο από το χρόνο, που μπορεί όμως να κρύβει και σοβαρούς κινδύνους για τον ανυποψίαστο προσκυνητή. Παρακολουθήστε τι πρέπει να προσέχεται κατά το προσκύνημα σας και πως θα αποφύγετε πιθανές δυσάρεστες περιπέτειες.
Agio Oros Boat Cruise - Κρουαζιέρα στο Άγιο Όρος
Κρουαζιέρα στο Άγιο Όρος. Ιερό Bουνό Άθως. Agio Oros Boat Cruise. Mount Athos. Boat tour to Agio Oros. Muntele Athos. Гора Афон. Video was recorded by SJ4000 action cam and Panasonic Lumix TZ30 camera. Video edit software: CyberLink PowerDirector 13.
13.09.2014
Enjoy places of Cyprus in my other channel:
Zacchaeus - Jericho - Greek Orthodox Monastery with Bein Harim Tourism Services
Zahi Shaked A tour guide in Israel and his camera
zahigo25@walla.com 9726905522 tel
סיור עם מורה הדרך ומדריך הטיולים צחי שקד 0546905522
My name is Zahi Shaked
In 2000 I became a registered liscenced tourist guide.
My dedication in life is to pass on the ancient history of the Holy Land.
Following upon many years of travel around the world, which was highlighted by a very exciting emotional and soul-searching meeting with the Dalai Lama, I realized that I had a mission. To pass on the the history of the Holy Land, its religions, and in particular, the birth and development of Christianity.
In order to fulfill this calling in the best way possible, I studied in depth, visited, and personally experienced each and every important site of the ancient Christians. I studied for and received my first bachelors degree in the ancient history of the Holy Land, and am presently completing my studies for my second degree.(Masters)
Parralel to my studies, and in order to earn a living, I was employed for many years in advertising. What I learned there was how to attract the publics attention, generate and, increase interest, and assimilate information. All this I use as tools to describe, explain and deepen the interest in the sites that we visit. From my experience, I have learned that in this way, the Holy Land becomes more than just history, and that the large stones that we see scattered about in dissaray, join together one by one until they become - a Byzantine Church. This also happens when I lead a group of Pilgrims in the Steps of Jesus. We climb to the peak of Mount Precipice, glide over the land to the Sea of Galilee, land on the water and see the miracle which enfolds before us. This is a many faceted experience. Not only history which you will remember and cherish, but an experience which I hope will be inplanted in your hearts and minds, and will accompany you all the days of your life.
Pilgrimage to Greece
Following the Footsteps of St Paul
Muntele Athos - Ouranopolis - Dafni
(2009) Litia Stichera (Nativity of Our Lord)
St. Elias Church (Ukrainian Catholic--Eparchy of Toronto), Brampton, ON Canada.
The Litia (Greek: Λιτή(Liti), from litomai, a fervent prayer) is a procession, followed by intercessions, which takes place during the All-Night Vigil in the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches. Whenever there is a Litia there is also an Artoklassia (breaking of bread). Either of these terms may be used to describe both liturgical actions collectively.
The procession and the artoklassia are two segments that are added to the service on Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church and on important feast days.
Before the service begins, a tetrapod (table), covered with a cloth of linen or brocaid is prepared. On the table is set a tray with five leavened loaves of bread, known as artoklassia loaves (see Artos for details). Also placed on the table is a dish containing wheat kernals, a vessel of pure olive oil, and a vessel of red wine. All of these will be blessed at the end of Vespers.
The procession takes place after the two litanies and the Prayer at the Bowing of Heads. A crucession forms, headed by the cross and liturgical banners, followed by the chanters, the deacon with the censer and the priest. The procession moves from the sanctuary to the narthex of the church. The reason it takes place in the narthex is so that the catechumens and penitents, who in ancient times were not allowed to enter the nave (the main body of the church) could participate in the joy and blessings of the feast. In those days the faithful would follow the clergy into the narthex to show their humility and brotherly love towards the catechumens and penitents. Sometimes, especially on major feast days, the procession will go outside in front of the church, or even in a procession through the streets of the town.
During the procession, the singers chant the sticheron (hymn) of the temple (i.e., the patron saint or Feast day to which the church or monastery is dedicated), followed by stichera of the feast being celebrated. On major feasts, the stichera of the temple are omitted and only the stichera of the feast are chanted.
Once the procession reaches the narthex and all of the appointed stichera have been chanted, the deacon begins a series of extended petitions (these are the Litia proper), asking for the intercession of many of the saints, and praying for the church and the world:
After each petition, the chanters respond with Kyrie eleison (Lord, have mercy) multiple times. After the last petition, everyone bows their heads, and the priest removes any headgear and reads a prayer, summarizing the petitions of the Litia.
Then the singers chant the Aposticha and the procession returns to the center of the church, where the artoklassia table has been set up. After the Aposticha, the reader says the Trisagion.