The head of John Prodromos (“the Forerunner”). This is really an exellent work of art. Look at the lifely features of the face, with its wild hairs and beard, its wrinkles and the empty (or sad?) eyes, looking slightly down, and the different colors of the eyes. It gives you the feeling that you are looking at a real person.
While trying to find some more information on the internet about John Prodromos I found a text which discribes the excistence of a Monastery of St. John the Forerunner on Mount Athos! “The ruins of this foundation are to be found on Mount Athos an hour’s journey from Docheiariou towards the mountain’s administrative center at Karyes”.
The author/founder Neilos discribes in the Typika and Testament how he started the project 1294/95:
Now, as I said, when I began to clear [the terrain] and build the small monastery, I also [expended] much labor and raised up a vineyard and an olive grove. Quite a few years ago I decided that after my death the small monastery should have one-half of the grapes and olives for its maintenance, and the monastery of Docheiariou should have the other half. Sometime thereafter, however, the area was devastated because of a very severe winter. There were torrential floodings, and these endangered and at length destroyed the vines and the olive-bearing trees. I set myself again to hard work, and planted another vineyard and olive grove, [these being located] towards the Megale Petra.
Does anyone know something more about this Monastery and where the ruins can be found ?
wv 13/3
NB more very interesting texts about Athos on this site www.doaks.org.
Wim wrote: ‘The postoffice should be on the right side of this picture near the white building?’ Answer: yes. The building seems to be the ‘Kellí Zoodóchou Pigís’ and from this point of view the postoffice should be located ‘north-east’behind the the building, as I wrote befor. (nr 282)
Bedankt Vasilis, ik had je eerdere reactie gemist !
gr Wim
Hallo Wim,
Was enige tijd afwezig maar zie nu dat er wat info over het postkantoor in Karyes is.
(Het lukt me echter niet oudere reacties door te bladeren.)
Maar ik begrijp dat er geen foto van het postkantoor beschikbaar is en dat de foto uit 1989 met de brievenbus dus niet het postkantoor toont. (leuk overigens dat er eenzelfde foto uit 2003 is waar de brievenbus is verdwenen…)
Vind je het goed dat ik de 1989 foto gebruik in mijn post-boek (uiteraard onder vermelding van photo: Wim Voogd, 1989) ?
Vriendelijke groet,
Rolf (rolf@weijburg.nl)
Rolf, het gebruik vd foto is geen probleem.
gr Wim
Hartelijk dank, Wim!
Vriendelijke groeten,
Rolf
The (new) postoffice of Karyes is on the street left along the Protaton. You can’t mis it. Five days ago I took a photograph for this blog, but unfortunedly I lost my camera on the way Karyes-Stavronikita (the part Skiti Bourazeri-Stavronikita).So if someone did find it….