The Touristic Info Halkidiki informs: Mount Athos - Monasteries and skites

Moni Osiou Grigoriou

Greek-orthodox, Holiday: December 6

The consecrated to Saint Nikolaos monastery, dates back to the 14th Century and it is relatively young. It is located on the west coast, right on the water and it is one of the smallest monasteries in Athos.

That colourful building was founded either by the young St. Gregorios or his teachers, the Gregorios Sinaiten. It is mentioned for the first time in a document from the year 1347AD. In Typikon from the year 1394AD it was 22nd among 25 monasteries. 

Only in 1483AD it appeared again in old records, as the abbot Aberkios signed a document in a Slavic language. At that time more than 270 monks werein the monastery. Then they were reduced until the Romanian Prince Stefan the Great, rebuilt it. 

A major fire in 1761AD at the monastery was almost fatal, since the number of monks rapidly declined. Nevertheless, until the 19th Century Romanian patrons had asserted its existence. It was in 1776AD when the north wing inaugurated. This was followed by the newly built Katholikon in 1779AD and the new south wing of the monastery built in 1783AD. 

Between 1892AD and 1900AD the monastery doubled and there were more monks because since the end of the 19th Century, it experienced a real boom by the influx of monks. 

The church is decorated with wall paintings from the 18th and 19th Centuries. In addition, there is an icon in Athos absolutely unusual, a 500-year-old representation of the nursing Virgin Mary (Panagia Galaktotrophoussa). The library of the monastery has 300 ancient manuscripts, and 400 valuable books.