Legend Of The Holy Mountain (Mount Athos)

Legend of the Holy Mountain (Mount Athos)

Ivan Milev, Bulgaria, 1926

The painting is inspired by the story of the Blessed Virgin Mary, sailing accompanied by St John the Evangelist from Joppa to Cyprus to visit Lazarus. When the ship was blown off course to then-pagan Athos, it was forced to anchor near the port of Klement, close to the present monastery of Iviron. The Virgin walked ashore and, overwhelmed by the mountain's wonderful and wild natural beauty, she blessed it and asked her Son for it to be her garden. A voice was heard saying, "Let this place be your inheritance and your garden, a paradise and a haven of salvation for those seeking to be saved". From that moment the mountain was consecrated as the garden of the Mother of God and was out of bounds to all other women.

An exception of the no women on Mount Athos rule is Helena of Bulgaria (b.1315 - d. 7.11.1374), wife of Serbian king and later emperor Stefan Dušan(b. 1308 - d. 20.12.1355, reign 1331-1355), who avoided breaking the ban by not touching the ground for her entire visit, by being constantly carried in a hand carriage.