Karakalou

Karakallou Monastery - defense tower in the western part of the complex

Karakallou Monastery - View from the south

The Karakallou Monastery ( Greek Μονή Καρακάλλου ) is an Orthodox monastery on Mount Athos in Greece . It is 160 meters above sea level on a terrace on the north-eastern slope of the Athonite peninsula.

In the hierarchy of the Athos monasteries, the Karakallou monastery ranks 11th.

The main festival day is June 29th ( Peter and Paul ).

history

There are various legends about the origin of the name Karakallou and the founding of the monastery. It is most likely, however, that construction began at the beginning of the 11th century and that the eponymous founder figure can be seen in a monk named Karakalas. A document dated 1018 defines the boundaries of the monastery and thus proves its existence at that time.

Attacks, looting and destruction in the 13th and early 14th centuries left the monastery in ruins. With the support of the Byzantine emperors Michael VIII , Andronikos II and John V , however, a repopulation and reconstruction of the monastery could be carried out. In the 16th century, Karakallou was generously supported by the family of the voivod of the Principality of Moldova , Petru IV. Rareș . During this time, for example, the dominant crenellated defense tower and the Katholikon were built.

During the 17th century, Karakallou was one of the most prosperous monasteries on Mount Athos and was inhabited by around 500 monks - today there are around 30.

Web links

• Entry on the UNESCO World Heritage Center website ( English and French ).
• Karakallou monastery at Mount Athos
• Holy Monastery of Karakallou. Greek Ministry of Culture

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Massimo Capuani, Maurizio Paparozzi: Athos. The foundations of the monastery. A millennium of spirituality and orthodox art . Fink, Munich 1999, p. 184-185 .
2. ↑ Karakallou. March 4, 2016, Retrieved May 28, 2018 . 

Coordinates: 40 ° 13 ′ 26.1 ″  N , 24 ° 18 ′ 34.5 ″  E