How to live Athos monks

• How are the Athos monks

On Mount Athos in Greece in the Aegean Sea off the coast is one of the oldest monasteries in the world. The first monks arrived here as early as the ninth century. Some of them settled in the caves right on the steep side of the cliff. For information on how you can survive in such a harsh environment, you can read in our article today.

Karula monastery, or rather even this monastery belonging to the Great Lavra in Greece consists of 12 cells, which were built in the XVII century, and several caves. The word "Karula" is translated from Greek as "coil" - it is used by the monks to raise the hermitage basket with food and water.

There are several monasteries monastery in which they live Orthodox monks in the region. Altogether there are about two thousand, but in the hermitage Karul only ten people live today.

The life of the monks in the monastery almost unchanged since then, both here came the first Orthodox monks in the IX century. Some of them grow vegetables, make wine, others cut out various utensils made of wood, they are always clean and mend monastery sit idle considered shameful. The monks try to provide themselves with everything you need for yourself, that there was no need to leave the abbey. Those who chose to live in caves, living in almost complete isolation, not only in contact in the usual world and even almost vidyas with other monks. "I do not like life in a monastery, for me it's like a prison here in Karula, I'm free." - says one of the hermits.

To get to these monasteries and caves so hard that the monks almost never let anyone see. In order not to die of hunger, they receive a minimum of food and water with the help of cables system located in the tens of meters above the water. Previously, in order not to break up the steep steep slope, the descent and lifting in the monks' cells, bind the chains and ropes as insurance. Today, there are almost vertical steps made of wood, which, although they are quite dangerous, but still significantly facilitate access to the monastery. Despite this, some monks do not consciously take the opportunity to go down, and some may not make it in mind to ill health. For example, Arsenios father's 64 years did not leave the monastery, and now unlikely to leave because of the fact that health does not allow him to use the steep steps.

Women are categorically not allowed to visit this place, even closer to the shore closer than 500 meters. It is believed that the last woman who was on the peninsula, was Mary herself. However, given that all the monks of the monastery celibates, this rule is also intended to exclude them from the temptation.

For all monks living in Karula, and in the other 20 monasteries Monastery, the main part of the time of the day is spent on prayers. Even when they work, or when they come for lunch or breakfast, all their actions are accompanied by prayers. The duration of different masses, sometimes it can last 6 hours are sometimes held at night - it is believed that the more silence, the easier it is to focus on the very prayer.

The steps to the monastery Karula.

Steps greatly facilitate access to Karula, although completely safe not call them.

Basket with groceries.

ascetic hermitages.

These bones belong to a monk who used to live in the monastery Karula. Even after the death of the monk to remain in the monastery. His remains were placed in a silver chest.