The Georgian (Iberian) Monastery is located in a small bay on the northeastern side of the Athonite peninsula, 4 kilometers from Karyes. It ranks third in the hierarchy and antiquity of the monastic state. Its founder, Lord John Tornikios from Iberia, established it between 979-80 using the spoils he acquired after his victory over the rebel Bardas Skleros. Between 1010 and 1020, it was known as the Monastery of the Iberians, or of Euthymius, due to an Iberian monk who had previously lived in the Great Lavra.
In its early years, the monastery operated a scriptorium for copying manuscripts in the Georgian language. The Iberian monks, who were the minority in the community, remained until 1357, when the monastery passed into the hands of Greek monks. However, the tradition of its origins remains alive, with the monks still calculating the time according to the Chaldean system, which is based on the sunrise. The monastery was repeatedly raided by Arabs and Catalans and was rebuilt in the late 16th century with the support of Georgian and Romanian rulers. A tragic event occurred when it was partially destroyed by fire in 1865.
The Catholicon has undergone numerous renovations and alterations. It was built in 980-83 by the Iberian George Varasvatze. Its frescoes are attributed to Theophanes Strelitza. Dedicated to the Theotokos, it is considered one of the oldest surviving buildings on Mount Athos. In the chapel of Portaïtissa, the pilgrim receives the blessing of the famous icon of the Virgin Mary, beside which a monk, known as the “prosmonarios,” stands continually. At the monastery’s harbor, a tower, one of the oldest on Athos, rises to a height of 22.5 meters.
Among other treasures, the monastery preserves the earliest written record of a folk song from the 15th century, illuminated Gospels, 2,000 manuscripts, parchment codices, and many hundreds of early and antique books. Among them is the famous illustrated 12th-century manuscript containing the lives of Varlaam and Ioasaph.
Among its relics are the mantle of Gregory V, the imperial bag of John Tzimiskes, and the masterpiece seven-branched candelabrum in the shape of a lemon tree. Its archive is an invaluable source of information for researchers studying Byzantine topography and iconography in Macedonia.
Text: Dr. Antonios G. Dikaios / Theologian – Environmentalist.
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