1914 -1918
a recent roundshot
The house is almost gone if you compare it with the older picture. But the tower itself seems in a good state as you can see in this roundshot taken from the tower in the direction of St. Basil.
Another quote:
Before 1262, King Urosh I of Serbia had the Transfiguration Tower built half an hour’s walk uphill from the monastery towards the south (now Spasova Voda). In 1302 King Milutin raised Hrusija, known as Basil’s Tower, beside Chilandar’s harbour, explicitly giving it the status of an independent kellion . It is noticeable that these towers and kellia were built in places that were both strategically important and also suitable for spiritual activity and in tellectual work in complete tranquility:
hv
Hello Wim, firstly i have to say that i enjoy your blog immensely and found a lot of useful information. As i currently plan my first trip to athos this june 2009, i wanted to ask you, if you know a good place to buy genuine athos icons on the peninsula these days. Is it still from the brothers described above, or from any specific monasteries?
thanks in advance
Hello Martin, thanks for the compliment ! Besides the two monks of whom I bought my icon 23 years ago, I do not know of any places to buy icons, but there must be lots of them (especialy near Kavsokalivia). But the Pachomaio-brothers should be “top of the bill” quality, so I would try to find them again (near Karyes, in the direction of Iviron).
Have a nice stay on Athos and to do tell us your story (or send photo’s!).
The Pachomaioi are by many accounts the best iconographers in the world today. The monks are wonderful gentlemen who still live on Mt. Athos. Their icons are very valuable. Whoever has on is blessed.