Pantokratoros Monastery, Mount Athos, Greece

The Pantokrator Monastery is ranked seventh in the hierarchical order of the twenty monasteries located on the Athos peninsula. As is case of the other institutions on Mount Athos, life at Pantokrator is coenobitic.

The Pantokrator Monastery is located near the Monastery of Stavronikita. The monastery was founded about 1357 by Alexios the Stratopedarch and John the Primikerios. They are buried at the monastery. Their monastery was built on the ruins of monastery of Ravdouchou that had been plundered by pirates during the years of Frankish occupation after the Latin conquest of Constantinople in 1204.

The katholikon within the monastery walls, which dates from the fourteenth century, is dedicated to the Transfiguration of Our Lord. Due to a paucity of space the church is small. It is of Athonite style and has frescos painted by artists of the Macedonian school. The murals were restored in 1854 by the painter Mathaeos of Naousa.

The refectory was built in 1841. The monastery also has eight chapels within its walls and seven more around the monastery placed among the many hermit huts. The skete of the Prophet Elijah also belongs to the Pantokrator monastery.

Pantokrator monastery was seriously damaged by a fire in 1773 and was repaired by the vestry keeper Kyrillos. Damage from a 1948 fire was repaired by the Restoration Service.

The Pantokrator library holds some 350 codices, two liturgical scrolls, and 3,500 printed books. A few codices have been stolen in recent years. Among the vestments, liturgical objects, and relics of saints, the monastery holds a unique and valuable icon of the Virgin Gerontissa and part of the shield of St. Mercurius.

References:

Orthodox Wiki

User Reviews

Gabriel Radu (18 months ago)
Kind and nice monks. All the best for them.

Pavaloaie Marian Constantin (2 years ago)
Just.......amazing!!! The beautiful feelings can not be putted in the words!

Nathaniel Meer (2 years ago)
Mount Athos as a whole was an amazing experience! And I was privileged enough to be invited to Pantocrator, the best monastery. It was during lent, so the food was edible, but not amazing, the services were long, and tiring. But I loved every second of it. The monks at this monastery are super kind, super cheerful, and quite the characters. I loved every one of them that I met and talked to. All in all, an amazing experience, and even more amazing people! I would recommend 100%, whole heartedly to go yourself, if it's what you want. It's an experience of a lifetime!

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