Holy Icons of the Mother of God on Mount Athos. Part II
Since 1054, Mount Athos, or the Holy Mountain as it is also often called, has been the spiritual capital of the Orthodox Christian world, with 20 ancient monasteries and approximately 2,000 monks living there permanently. In addition, Mount Athos is home to many important religious artifacts and holy icons, including some of the oldest examples of Eastern Orthodox icons of the Mother of God. We wrote about four of them in our previous article and now want to tell you about several other holy icons of the Theotokos preserved on the Holy Mountain.
Holy icons of the Mother of God
- Icon of Our Lady of Hilandar
Icon of Our Lady of Hilandar, also known as the “Akathist” icon of the Mother of God, is one of the most significant holy icons currently preserved in the Hilandar Monastery, the Serbian Orthodox monastery on Mount Athos, founded in 1198. Among other antique icons kept in this ancient monastery are the holy icons of the Mother of God “Of the Three Hands” and the Mother of God “The Milk-Giver.”
- Icon of the Mother of God “Xenophon Hodegetria”
This beautiful antique icon of the Mother of God of the Hodegetria type was originally kept in the katholikon of the Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos. However, according to the legend, it miraculously disappeared from the monastery and appeared on the opposite side of Athos at the Monastery of Xenophon, hence its name. Since then, the icon is preserved in the Monastery of Xenophon.
- The Weeping Tikhvin icon of the Mother of God
The Weeping Tikhvin icon of the Mother of God, which can be found in the Prophet Elias Skete of the Pantokrator Monastery on Mount Athos, got its name from the miracle happened in 1877 when several monks saw tears flowing from the eyes of the Theotokos. It is believed that it was a sign of mercy from the Mother of God.
- Icon of the Mother of God “Panagia Paramythia”
The antique icon of the Mother of God “Panagia Paramythia,” also known as Our Lady of Comfort or Our Lady of Consolation, is one more example of miracle-working holy icons of Mount Athos. It is currently preserved in the Vatopedi Monastery built during the second half of the 10th century.
Thanks to so many significant examples of religious icon art carefully kept in ancient monasteries, Mount Athos is not only an important center of Eastern Orthodox monasticism but also a recognized artistic site. Stay with us to learn more about other holy icons preserved in this sacred place!