Daily life and worship

The unit "Daily life and worship" narrates the history of a monastery, describes the humble simplicity that adorns everyday tasks, next to a library of an empire's magnitude, the modest facilities next to the monumental portrayal of bread, wine and olives.

Worship is the culmination of daily life, where the worship tools, even though away from their natural environment, fully reflect a "divine beauty" and are transformed into artistic objects of the utmost mastery and spiritual products of a grand civilisation.

The presentation of every day life and worship is displayed through eleven units which illustrate monastic life in a timeless and satisfactory manner. The units are "Worship", "Music", Health ", "Armed Bodies", "Laboratories", Clock making", "Metochia (Monastery dependencies)", Vineyard and Wine", "Art Workshops", "Printing, Photography, Stamping" and "Watermills and Windmills".

Each unit features seven hundred related objects in their original form and five collections, as well as plans, photographs and informational documents.

The curator of this section, Ministry of Culture archaeologist Ioakim Papaggelos, reminds us that everyday life in Mount Athos is founded on the older monks' command to the newer, "pray incessantly". Monastic day is interwoven with worship and the everyday tasks are adjusted to the time of prayer," Mr. Papaggelos emphasises.

The Church, the traditions and the rules of behaviour constitute the points of reference in monastic daily life. Yet, aside from prayer and study in his private refuge, the monk's day includes the tasks he performs in order to secure his expenses and the exemplary hospitality provided to the visitor.

Knowledge, the traditions, the rules of behaviour, elements which are taught from the older monks to the newer, are granted the proper respect, as well as all the religious and social traditions that are devoutly observed at Mountain Athos.


© 1997 Macedonian Press Agency