Cyprus-Forum.com

[Iran Forever]

[Natty]

Wow, where's that? It's beautiful!

[Iran Forever]

This is Esfigmenou Monastery on the Holy Mountain...Holy Mountain peninsula itself is part of a larger peninsula called Khalkidiki (also spelled Chalkidiki, Halkidiki) which basically looks like a hand with only three fingers jutting out into the Aegean...closest airport is Thessaloniki. An hour's walk from Esfigmenou is the Serbian monastery of Hilandari. I visited Esfigmenou two years ago.

[Chrisswirl]

No women are allowed on Athos : ( it's the only place in the European Union of this size to say that. Apparently the policy is based upon the story of the Virgin Mary visiting Athos and that, as no women is as good as the Virgin Mary, no women should ever be allowed to set foot on Athos again. And they include women animals in this.

I honestly do not understand how Orthodox women can take this discrimination. Surely in the eyes of God we are all equally sin-worthy (according to Christian doctrine not my personal beleifs)?

[Iran Forever]

Chriss, the purpose is not discrimination, but it is a thousand year tradition. You have to realize, Mt. Athos is a place of monasteries with MALE monks...introducing women into the peninsula can create alot of problems, if you know what I mean

I do not know why the European Union is interfering in something that is really not their business, but then there are lots of things wrong with the E.U.

[Natty]

I read (and I may be wrong...) that the reason why the Monks don't allow women on Mt Athos is because, back in the day the sheperds used to...ehem.......sell their wives to the Monks....:)

[Natty]

Or at least attempted to sell their wives........

[Freddy]

No doubt if the monks didn't like the shepherds wife then the shepherd offered himself: hence the monks suffered no discrimination..... These days there are very few shepherds and therefore very few wives!

[mr_n1]

How would i go about visiting the Monastry?
Is it by invitation only?

[Freddy]

These days the most 'popular' or 'unusual' sites, certainly within Europe, have visiting hours and welcome you visiting so as to 'cash-in' and for that reason only in Cyprus you would be welcomed with open arms! Some of the inhabitants of the most popular sites on the island are 'big' in the property developement market and it is believed, even in the North!