Hilandar, Orthodox monastery in Mount Athos, Greece.
Hilandar is an Orthodox monastery within the monastic community of Mount Athos in Greece, built into a hillside. The complex contains several chapels, a fortified tower, and a central church, all connected around a rectangular courtyard.
Serbian kings founded the monastery in 1198 and made it an important center of Orthodox spirituality. Fires in the 13th and 20th centuries damaged parts of the complex, but the community rebuilt each time.
The katholikon displays wall paintings of Serbian saints and rulers that monks have maintained over generations. Visitors can still see the wooden semantron system, movable beams that call the community to prayer.
Only men may enter Mount Athos, and they need a diamonitirion permit that must be requested in advance. Walks between monasteries require sturdy shoes and stamina, as paths are often steep and rocky.
The monastery follows the Byzantine timekeeping system, where each day begins at sunset, which means clocks here run differently than anywhere else. This ancient method shapes the rhythm of daily prayer and monastic work.
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