Mount Athos is an amazing monastic land where unceasing prayer is offered for the whole world.
Mount Athos is a special place, halfway between heaven and earth. For the last 1,300 years Mount Athos has occupied a special position among other countries: it is not subject to the secular laws.
The Holy Mountain is under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and is part of the Greek state with a special status, where Greek is the official language. At present there are 20 functioning monasteries on Athos, which have status of Patriarchy (17 Greek, 1 Russian, 1 Bulgarian, and 1 Serbian).
Apart from the monasteries there are 12 hermitages, various cells, kathismes, and isikhastories. There are altogether about 2000 monks on Mount Athos, including hermitages and hermitages. The programme of the trip to Athos includes visits to 4 monasteries and one hermitage.