|
 Halkidiki's most
spectacular landscape, however, must be Mount
Athos, 2,000 metres high, the easternmost
peninsula and also known as the Holy Mountain
and the spiritual centre of Orthodox
Christianity. The first monastic communities
were established in Athos in the 9th century.
Recognised by a 1926 Greek legislative decree,
Agion Oros (The Holy Mountain) is a unique
theocratic republic, sheltering 20 Byzantine
monasteries. It is also a UNESCO monument of
international cultural heritage and a real-life
museum of Byzantine and post-Byzantine art.
 Mount Athos has its own capital, Karies; it is
governed by a council of twenty monks elected
every year by each of the monasteries. Its
population has been strictly male since 1060
when a Byzantine edict issued by Emperor
Constantinos Monomahos permanently banned
females from Athos. However, the stunning
scenery of Athos and the beautiful architecture
of the monasteries can be admired from the sea.
Regular boat trips depart throughout the summer
from the harbour town of Ouranoupolis, and also
from Ormos Panagias on Sithonia. Travel agents
in these places also offer cruises along the
coastline of the Holy Mountain so that both
sexes can get a glimpse of its centuries-old
monasteries. |
