A land where women have been absent for over 1,000 years.

It may sound unbelievable, but for the past 1,000 years, no woman has been allowed to visit the sacred Mount Athos. This is because the monks there believe their greatest mission is to follow God, and women would make it difficult for them to focus on this important purpose.

Mount Athos is a mountain located on the Halkidiki peninsula in northeastern Greece, measuring 60 km in length, 7-12 km in width, and covering an area of ​​390 km². It is home to one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, dating back to the 9th century. It is renowned as a sacred land, home to a complex of 20 Orthodox monasteries and approximately 2,000 monks.

Athos, known in Greek as Ayion Oros or Agion Oros, means "Holy Mountain." It was a private world for male monks from around 800 AD. In 1045, Constantino Monomachos, the Byzantine Emperor, granted autonomy to the Athos mountain region, officially making it a state monastery. In 1060, to help male priests meditate and draw closer to God, a law prohibiting women was enacted. This regulation not only banned women but also female animals (except flying creatures and cats), eunuchs, and even men without beards.

However, some women still defy the ban to travel to the peninsula. In 1953, a Greek woman disguised herself as a man to enter. The country subsequently imposed a 12-month prison sentence on the offender. Most recently, in 2008, four Moldovan women were abandoned on the island by human traffickers. Local police arrested the four, but an official said the monks had forgiven them.

Today, Mount Athos only allows 100 Greek or Orthodox visitors per day, and they must have a permit registered in advance. The quota for foreign visitors is 10 male visitors per day, and reservations must be made a month in advance. Furthermore, these visitors must appear gentle and honest, and must undress before ascending for a strict check to prevent any disguises.

Of the 20 monasteries in this complex, 17 are Greek, and the remaining 3 are Russian (Agiou Panteleiminos), Serbian (Hilandar), and Bulgarian (Zografou). Mount Athos was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.

The monasteries on the island are elaborately decorated, as they are where monks practice their faith, live, and carry out their daily activities. During meals, the monks must remain silent and listen to prayers. Their food consists mainly of vegetables, sometimes with fish and water or wine. Most of their daily food is grown on the monastery's farms, and the monks also have their own vineyards to make wine.

Prayer occupies a large portion of their time, mostly at night when the monastery is quietest. At dawn each day, the monks light candles and pray, believing this is when they are closest to God and their prayers can be heard. Besides prayer, the monks spend their time cleaning the guesthouse, brewing wine, preparing dinner, and building and renovating the monastery.

The monks remained united even in death. Their remains were washed in red wine according to ancient Greek custom and placed in a chapel. They believed that leaving life was peaceful if one considered living for God and dying to the outside world.

Some monks live in isolation, rather than staying in the monastery to avoid distractions. This secluded place is called Karoulia, with houses perched precariously on cliffs. They believe that it brings them closer to God. Most of the houses here are not easily accessible; food and firewood are transported in baskets attached to pulleys. If the dwelling is too difficult to reach, one person will raise a flag to signal other monks to visit when they need help.

Visitors wishing to visit the archipelago can register by sending a copy of their passport to the Pilgrims' Office, then travel by ferry from the two nearest ports in the city of Ouranoupoli and the town of Ierissos.

My Tong