Air Serbia » Er Srbija | 15 Where the silence is audible According to Greek mythology, in ancient times this place was home to the Titans, the children of the gods (sons and daughters of Uranus, the god of the sky, and Gaia, the goddess of Earth). It was during the battle with the Titans that Poseidon, god of the seas, lost his trident. Its three prongs formed at the place where the battle was fought and today represent the three “fingers” of the Halkidiki peninsula. The 2,033 metre-high Mount Athos, the third finger, was named after one of the Titan's successors. The first finger, Kassandra, was named after Macedonian king Cassander, while Sithonia, the second finger, was named after the giant Sithon. Kassandra is like paradise on earth and is the closest to Thessaloniki. Its enchanting nature, magnificent sandy beaches, rocky outcrops and inlets covered with pine forests are ideal for holidaying. Sithonia is a unique corner of the world composed of high mountains and golden beaches, many centuries of history and modern life, and all just an hour's drive from Thessaloniki. But Agios Oros is special in every way. It houses the only Orthodox Christian monastic republic, which has spent more than a thousand years living in accordance with church canons and in the spirit of Byzantine times. Priceless riches, precious items, icons and manuscripts are preserved in the treasuries of the monasteries. Athos is also dubbed the realm of monks. A feast for the human eye is provided by the multitude of Byzantine style monasteries secretively nestled in its deciduous forests and bays. Included among the 20 Orthodox monasteries here is Serbia's own Hilandar. The very thought of being in the place where our saints, Saint Sava and his father Saint Simeon the Myrrh-flowing, walked, and many others who devoted their lives to prayer and other monks who went out into the world from that holy place to preach the faith, cannot leave one feeling indifferent. Finding yourself there, in the church, surrounded by centuries-old frescoes of our saints who stare at you unblinkingly, absorbing with all the senses those moments and the intoxicating scent of incense that spreads through the nave and narthex of King Milutin's church, you can't help but think that you're at the epicentre of an unusual energy that overwhelms, inspires and enriches you. On the Holy Mountain you get the impression that you are in a timeless space, a space where the benefits of civilisation are still unavailable…
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzExMjc5