Megisti Lavra Monastery

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In the monastery courtyard
In the monastery courtyard

The monastery Megisti Lavra ( Greek Μονή Μεγίστης Λαύρας , dt. 'Largest monastery') is the largest monastery on Mount Athos . It was founded as the first monastery on Holy Mountain in 963 by the Orthodox monk Athanasios . Despite the name Lavra , it is a Koinobion . The construction of the church ( Katholikon ) began in 962/63, the floor plan of which was used as a template in numerous churches in northern Greece and south-eastern Europe. The bronze doors were made in Constantinople in 1002.

In 964 Nikephorus II. Phocas stipulated in three chrysobulls the independence from church authorities, the maximum number of 80 monks and the annual payment of 244 gold pieces and deliveries of wheat. The Lavra had thus become an imperial monastery and retained this status until the beginning of Turkish rule. The number of monks soon rose to 120, reaching 700 by the middle of the 11th century. In 1045 Constantine IX conferred . Monomachos gives precedence to the hegoumenos of the Great Lavra over all other hegoumenoi , including the respective protois . The well-known hegoumenoi included Philotheos Kokkinos and Gregorios Palamas . Towards the end of Byzantine rule, the monastery was promoted by the emperors until it came under Ottoman rule in 1430, along with all of northern Greece .

The icon collection, which began in the middle of the 11th century, still includes around 30 icons from the Byzantine era. The church treasure in the skeuophylakion contains a silver cross, which is associated with Nikephoros, the so-called Phocas Lectionary and a Euangelion from the late 11th century with full-page miniatures, which may also go back to an imperial foundation.

The library of the monastery has over 2000 manuscripts , of which around 800 were created in Byzantine times. There are 172 documents in the archive that were issued before 1453. In the 19th century, individual manuscripts, including one by Babrios , were sold to the Greek Minoides Mynas , who was acting on behalf of the French Ministry of Education .

The northern Sporades island of Kyra Panagia still belongs to the monastery today .

literature

  • Alexander Kazhdan, Alice Mary Talbot: Lavra, Great. In: Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium II, 1991, pp. 1190-1191.
  • Mark J. Johnson: Architecture of the Lavra. In: Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium II, 1991, p. 1191.
  • Anthony Cutler, Nancy Patterson Ševčenko: Art Treasures of the Lavra. In: Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium II, 1991, p. 1191.

Web links

Commons : Megisti Lavra Monastery  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 40 ° 10 ′ 15.9 ″  N , 24 ° 22 ′ 58.2 ″  E