"Mount Athos is the chief centre of pilgrimage for Eastern Orthodox Christians. As the spiritual hub of the Orthodox world it is also home to more than two thousand monks. Each of its twenty monasteries welcomes thousands of pilgrims every year to venerate its holy icons, to make their confessions, and to listen to the wisdom of its elders. This book delves into the nature of pilgrimage, for both Western and Eastern Christians. It describes the pilgrim experience both from the standpoint of the visiting pilgrim (be it men to the Athonite monasteries or women to their daughter houses elsewhere) and from that of the receiving monk. What is it like to live the life of a monk or nun for a few precious days? And what is it like for the monks (and nuns) to receive literally thousands of pilgrims every year? And are they true pilgrims or are they really tourists? What is so special about Athos? This book will answer these questions"--

Mount Athos, a spectacularly beautiful rocky peninsula on the coast of Greece has been a monastic preserve since the ninth century. This richly illustrated book tells the entire story of Athos, the Holy Mountain, from the first anchorite monks who lived in caves and huts through centuries of political and religious controversy to the thriving monastic communities of today.

An affectionate testament to Mount Athos, the Holy Mountain, after 30 years of activity of the Friends of Mount Athos00Mount Athos, the home of Orthodox spirituality and monasticism, has been in existence for at least 1200 years. Home to over 2,000 monks, in twenty glorious monasteries filled with treasures, the peninsular is undergoing a transformation and renewal of faith.00In 1956 there was a proposal to build hotels on Mount Athos. Today it hosts up to 1,000 pilgrims every day! Why? This book will help explain this extraordinary place, the current resurgence, the growing population of monks, the sense of purpose, the love and affection that are so much part of the environment.00This wonderful story, with a preface by HRH Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, is told through the recollections of the Friends of Mount Athos, an organisation that has, for thirty years, provided support for the institutions, landscape and people. Here are the stories of enchantment from over forty people of different nationalities, customs and beliefs.00In addition to the text, there are a collection of special photographs and maps.00Peter Howorth and Chris Thomas are long time members of the Friends of Mount Athos and veterans of multiple path-clearing pilgrimages to the Holy Mountain which is how they met. Despite living on opposite sides of the planet, their mutual passion for the planet, geography, pilgrimage and of course Mount Athos has underpinned their collaboration.

This collection of essays considers the development and meaning of the iconostasis, the screen used in churches to separate the sanctuary from the nave. The contributors approach the history of the icon screen from a variety of disciplines, including art history, theology, and architecture.