- ATHENS -- No women, spartan
food, whitewashed cells and a 3am prayer bell are just some of the ascetic
delights drawing increasing numbers of high-profile men, from the Prince
of Wales to George Soros, to a remote peninsula in northern Greece.
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- As the heir to the British throne awoke in the earliest
hours of this morning, he took his place as the latest scion of the educated
classes to seek solace in the Orthodox monastic republic of Mount Athos.
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- For Prince Charles, it is an annual pilgrimage to the
heart of the Orthodox faith: to a community where no woman has set foot,
under pain of death, for more than 500 years. Even female livestock are
forbidden. The composer John Taverner was so taken with the seclusion and
spirituality that he converted to Orthodoxy. The writer and adventurer
Sir Patrick Leigh Fermor has enjoyed a lifetime love affair with Athos
since he celebrated his 21st birthday party at the Russian monastery.
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- Perched on the end of the rugged three-fingered peninsula
of Halkidiki and accessible only from the sea, the monastic "state"
is the only one of its kind in the world. It was granted its unique status
nearly 1,000 years ago by Constantinople, then the centre of the Byzantine
empire.
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- Athos' dramatic 11th- and 12th-century fortress monasteries
are scattered in the shadow of the Holy Mountain, giving refuge to a multinational
community of Orthodox monks. Between them they rule the mountain. The monasteries,
which are home to priceless collections of Byzantine art, were originally
built to withstand the assault of pirates who marauded along the Greek
shores.
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- Today's visitors may be more peaceable but their privacy
is jealously guarded. Dr Graham Speake from the Friends of Mount Athos
- a society which counts ambassadors and academics as well as bluebloods
such as Prince Charles and Prince Philip among its members - says interest
is on the up. "Our membership is growing ... there is a fascination
with the monastic life," he said.
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- The society is wealthy enough to be confident it can
afford the£12m needed to repair damage to one monastery in a recent
fire. Prince Charles is reported to have contributed £650,000 to
the restoration. But money and status count for little on the Holy Mountain.
"The monasteries are not hotels. If you stay, you live the life of
a monk - from the food that you eat to the hours that you keep," said
Dr Speake, who returned to England from Athos two weeks ago. "It's
unlike any other place in Western Christianity. It's a wonderful opportunity
to get away from the chaos of the modern world."
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- The first prayer bell is rung around 3.30am and is the
cue for more than four hours of prayer before breakfast, with an hour for
vespers at around 4pm; and another bout of prayer which completes the liturgical
day at 7pm. On feast days, there are up to 10 hours' prayer.
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- A strict daily entrance quota of 100 Orthodox and 10
non-Orthodox pilgrims is imposed.
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- The monastery gates are locked at sunset and those left
outside may shelter among the coastal caves where the hermits seek even
greater solitude than the monks. For those inside, there are guest houses
where hospitality is free.
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- All pilgrims are received equally, and, according to
one regular, Athens surgeon Dr George Georgopoulos: "You never know
who is in the cell next to you. It could be a prince or farm labourer."
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- © 2004 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd
- http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/story.jsp?story=521732
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