Xeropotamou Monastery

The monastery Xeropotamou (Greek Moni Xiropotamou Μονή Ξηροποτάμου, monastery on the dry creek ) is an Eastern Orthodox monastery in the monastic state on the peninsula of Mount Athos in Greece. It is situated on the road from Dafni after Karyes height of 200 m. In the hierarchy of the Athonite monasteries it is now in eighth place, before the 16th century it took the 5th place. It is one of the twenty self-governing monasteries in Athos, and was dedicated to Saint Nicephorus in his creation, since the mid-13th century, it is dedicated to the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste. Until 1661 it was a koinobitisches monastery, while all other Athos monasteries had adopted the Idiorrhythmie; this way of life was resumed in 1981.

Among the well-known works of art include a cross relic and the Paten of Poulcheria, allegedly from the 5th century, in reality, a Panhagiarion of steatite from the 14th century. The library of the monastery has 550 manuscripts from the 10th to the 20th century and 4000 old prints, the Archive stores 35 200 Byzantine and post-Byzantine Greek records and Kopialbücher. The present buildings date from the 18th century.

History

Formation by Empress Pulcheria is a legend with no detectable real foundation. The monastery was probably founded shortly before 956 as the second of the Athos monastery. In research, it is debatable whether Paulos Xeropotamites can be regarded as founder during the joint reign of Constantine VII and Romanus II. From the eleventh to the thirteenth century in Xeropotamou was because of his land ownership one of the richest monasteries on the peninsula, but the pirate attacks caused by depression of the first half of the 13th century could be overcome soon. Severity fires occurred in 1507 and 1609. During 1489 a further 90 monks living in the monastery, there were in 1569 only 23 economic support came during the Turkish occupation of the Danubian Principalities and the Aegean Islands.