Ζωγράφου | |
 External view of the monastery. | |
  Location within Mount Athos | |
| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Holy Monastery of Zografou |
| Order | Ecumenical Patriarchate |
| Established | Late 9th or early 10th century, 919 in some sources |
| Dedicated to | Saint George |
| Diocese | Mount Athos |
| People | |
| Founders | Moses, Aaron and John (all from Ohrid) |
| Site | |
| Location | Mount Athos,Greece |
| Coordinates | 40°18′21″N24°09′37″E / 40.30583°N 24.16028°E /40.30583; 24.16028 |
| Public access | Men only |
| Other information | https://zograf.eu/ |
| Website | https://zograf.eu/ |
TheSaint George the Zograf Monastery orZograf Monastery (Greek:Μονή Ζωγράφου,Moní Zográphou;Bulgarian:Зографски манастир) is one of the twentyEastern Orthodox monasteries inMount Athos (the "Holy Mountain") inGreece. It was founded in the late 9th or early 10th century by threeBulgarians fromOhrid and is regarded as the historical Bulgarian monastery on Mount Athos, and is traditionally inhabited byBulgarian Orthodoxmonks.
The monastery is named after the 13th or 14th century icon ofSaint George, known as Saint George the Zograf (Светѝ Гео̀рги Зогра̀ф). The name of the latter comes from the belief that the iconmysteriously painted itself on the prepared board (zograf(os) in Greek means "painter" (fromzoe="life" andgraphos="scribe").
The earliest written evidence of the monastery's existence dates from 980. During theMiddle Ages, the monastery was generously supported by the Bulgarian rulers, such asIvan Asen II andIvan Alexander, since it was a matter of pride for the Bulgarian Orthodox Church to maintain a monastery on Athos. The Zograf Monastery has also received land endowments byByzantine (the first donor beingLeo VI the Wise) andSerbian rulers.[citation needed]
The Zograf Monastery was plundered and burnt down byCrusaders, working under orders from theByzantine emperorMichael VIII Palaiologos, in 1275, resulting in the death of 26 monks. These included theigumen (abbot) Thomas, as well as the monks Barsanuphius, Cyril, Micah, Simon, Hilarion, James, Job, Cyprian, Sabbas, James, Martinian, Cosmas, Sergius, Paul, Menas, Ioasaph, Ioanicius, Anthony, Euthymius, Dometian, Parthenius, and four laymen.[citation needed]
The reason for this attack was the opposition of the Athonite monks to theUnion of Lyons, which the Emperor had supported for political reasons. Having hanged theProtos (the elected president of Mount Athos), and having killed many monks inVatopedi,Iveron and other monasteries, the Latins attacked Zographou. Theirmartyrdom is commemorated annually on October 10 (October 23 on theGregorian Calendar) throughout the Eastern Orthodox Church.[citation needed]
Mercenaries of theCatalan Grand Company raided the Holy Mountain for two years (1307–9), sacking many monasteries, plundering the treasures of Christendom, and terrorising the monks. Of the 300 monasteries on Athos at the beginning of the 14th century, only 35 were left by the end.[1] But the monastery recovered quickly with the help of grants and support from thePalaeologue Emperors and the princes of theMoldavian andWallachian Principalities. The buildings were reconstructed in the late 13th century with the financial aid of Byzantine EmperorAndronicus II Palaeologus. The monastery was also given numerousmetochia (properties) in parts of Romania, Bulgaria, Russia, and modern-day Turkey, but retains today only those in Greece.
The monastery exists in its modern appearance since the 16th century, while its present-day buildings date from the middle 18th century. The south wing was built in 1750, the east in 1758, the small church was erected in 1764 and the large one in 1801. The north and west wing are from the second half of the 19th century and large-scale construction ended in 1896 with theSaints Cyril and Methodius Church and the raising of thebell tower.[citation needed]
Among the numerousrelics and other holy objects treasured at the monastery is theWonderworkingIcon of theTheotokos "Of theAkathist," thefeast day of which is celebrated on October 10. Since Mount Athos uses the traditionalJulian Calendar, the day they celebrate as October 10 currently falls on October 23 of the modernGregorian Calendar. Today the Monastery has 15 monks.[2]
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The Zograf Monastery houses alibrary of major significance toBulgarian culture, preservingmedievalmanuscripts such as a 15th-century copy of the passional ofSaint Naum of Ohrid, the 14th-century passional ofSaint Paraskevi, the original draft ofPaisius of Hilendar'sIstoriya Slavyanobolgarskaya, and theHistory of Zograf. The monastic library contains 388 manuscripts inChurch Slavonic and 126 in Greek, as well as about 10,000 printed books altogether. Twomedieval Bulgarian royal charters, the Zograf Charter and the Rila Charter, were discovered in the monastery's library.
Zograf Peak onLivingston Island in theSouth Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after the Zograf Monastery.[citation needed]
The monastery and its seal are depicted on theobverse of the Bulgarian 2levs banknote, issued in 1999 and 2005.[3]
On March 21, 2011, the Bulgarian National Bank issued a commemorative silver coin with nominal value of 10levs featuring the monastery.[4]
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