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Eastern Travel Guide: Greece

DIMITRIS SALAPATAS

GREECE IS a country rich in Orthodox Christianity. Many saints and apostles
lived and were martyred there, and events found in the New Testament have
taken place in Greece. It is a diverse country when referring to its Christian
expression and ecclesiastical architectural style. The northern part reminds the
pilgrim of Byzantium, the South has been in?uenced by Western architecture,
whilst the Greek islands maintain their unique style. This article describes
some of the most important holy sites throughout Greece.

Mount Athos

Mount Athos is a magical place in northern Greece, being a monastic commu-
nity for centuries. The twenty monasteries (including one Bulgarian, one Rus-
sian and one Serbian) with countless hermitages and the nearly 1500 monks,
has been a holy place for Orthodox Christians since the earliest days of Chris-
tianity. It is believed to have been a holy place for the ancient Greeks too. Only

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