Mount Athos has great importance in history as well as religious spirituality. A sacred place for Zeus from ancient Greece. Mount Athos and its mythological stories define its presence to exist for centuries. Nothing is lost even during modern times, it still perpetuates defining spirituality.
The vast peninsular was a battlefield for the Greeks and Persians is now a place of monasteries. Place in Greece to the monks does have many monasteries led by men. Not only in the temples of worship but no women are allowed to enter the terrains of the mountains of Mount Athos.
Not only humans but the rule are for animals too in Mount Athos
The place is the soul of the Russian monks who has made it their home. All around is the existence of men, even the animals roaming around are male. There is no presence of females in the area. So, what about milk for them? Or supply of eggs, if there is a ban on female genders. All products required are transported into Mount Athos. There is no way of allowing the female traces to stay in these rocky terrains.
The lifestyle of these Russian monks is different from the rest of the world when they have no traces of females around. It is more than 1000 years or more that no women are allowed to enter the area.
Mount Athos is also known as “the garden of mother God”
One of the popular reasons that define resisting women to enter the terrains is the wish of the Virgin Mary. The part continues as a tradition dedicated to the Mother of God. As per the story, Virgin Mary was trying to sail to Cyprus reached Mount Athos. She was flattered by the beauty of the rocky mountain. Praying to her son she wanted to rule on the entire place. Her son dedicated this place to her. It is still known as the garden of mother God. She alone rules over the entire Mount Athos and so no other women can find that place.
The mountain being one of the greatest peaks collapsed, it was due to the blessings of the Virgin Mary and her son Apostle John the recreation was seen again. After which in the tenth century the Great Lavra monastery was formed by St. Athanasios. It is believed that due to the blessings of the Virgin Mary and her son the place is a paradise. After dedicating Mount Athos to her and still it remains as her place.
Till now no women are allowed to the enter place with 20 monasteries and 2000 monks around. Even tourists are limited to men who visit every year. It is the ancient monastery place that exists on the earth from pre-Christian history.
In 1903, there was an old photograph published in which a woman was seen. It is the only woman seen in the entire history which is a mystery. While the monks claim that she was Virgin Mary and there is no place for any other woman in Mount Athos.
