monastic community of Mount Athos, Greece

Great Lavra

monastic community of Mount Athos, Greece

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Phone: +30 2377-023754

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The Great Lavra, the first monastery established on Mount Athos, was founded in AD 963 by Athanasius the Athonite on the southeastern foot of the peninsula in northeastern Greece at an elevation of 160 metres. Built in Byzantine architectural style, it marks the inception of organized monastic life on Mount Athos. The monastery occupies a site where an ancient city once stood, possibly Akrothooi, and contains sarcophagi from that settlement. Its historical significance extends beyond its physical presence: the monastery's archives were preserved nearly intact, making them the most complete record of any Mount Athos monastery and offering potential insights into the histories of other houses whose records were partially or entirely lost. Today it stands as both a protected building and archaeological site in Greece.