Great Lavra (Athos)

The Monastery of Great Lavra (Greek Μονή Μεγίστης Λαύρας, dt Largest Monastery) is the largest monastery on Mount Athos. It was the first monastery on the Saint. 963 Mountain founded by the monk Athanasios Orthodox. Despite the name Lavra is a Koinobion. The construction of the church ( Catholicon ) was 962/63 started, the floor plan was used as a template in numerous churches of northern Greece and Southeastern Europe. The bronze doors have been manufactured in 1002 in Constantinople Opel.

964 has enshrined the independence of ecclesiastical authority, the maximum number of 80 monks and the annual payment of 244 gold pieces and wheat deliveries in three Nikephoros II Phokas Chrysobullen. The Lavra was thus become the imperial monastery, and retained this status until the beginning of Turkish rule. The number of monks soon rose to 120 to the mid-11th century it reached 700 in 1045 gave Constantine IX. Monomachos the hegoumenos the Great Lavra precedence over all other hegoumenoi, including the respective protos. Among the known hegoumenoi belonged Philotheos Kokkinos and Gregory Palamas. Even at the end of Byzantine rule, the monastery was funded by the emperors until 1430 it came up with the whole of northern Greece under Ottoman rule.

The icon collection that was begun in the mid-11th century, includes today about 30 icons from the Byzantine period. The church treasure in skeuophylakion contains a silver cross, which is associated with Nicephorus, the so-called Phocas - lectionary and a evangelion from the late 11th century with full-page miniatures, which may also be traced back to an imperial foundation.

The library of the monastery has over 2,000 manuscripts, of which about 800 are still originated in the Byzantine period. In archive 172 records are available, issued before 1453. In the 19th century, individual manuscripts, including one of the Babrius sold to those acting on behalf of the French Ministry of Education Greeks minoides Mynas.

Still belongs to the monastery, the northern Sporades Kyra Panagia.