Greece with Simon Reeve: MOUNT ATHOS

Mount Athos, Greece



Faith is foremost in Greece. Mount Athos, a mountainous peninsula that juts out into the Aegean Sea in the north, is a great spiritual centre and has been the emotional heart of the Greek Orthodox Church since 1054.
There are around 20 monasteries, many of which are more than 1,000 years old, where women are forbidden from visiting, even today. Men go there to pray, think and connect with their maker. I was left in awe.

We were only allowed to film in one monastery, Esphigmenou, which is home to around 100 rebel monks who have effectively broken away from the church and are doing their own thing. They've been accused of squatting, so it's a tricky but fascinating situation. We were given a tour and saw some of the common areas where normal life goes on: the wood-chopping shed, where they brew rakia, and the chocolate factory. They might not have temptations of the flesh, but there are certainly other temptations around. read next here >>

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