Just outside the gate of Dionysiou along the stone benches the path to Paulou starts. There are some old buildings on the left and a sea view on the right. The path narrows a bit and takes a sharp turn, going down. Right in the bend there is a building with a closed door.

In front of it is an abstract mosaic made of black and white pebbles. It’s a smaller version of the mosaic inside the monastery. I opened the door and saw a corridor, maybe five meters long. At the end of the corridor there is a stone staircase. Three steps down. It is the cemetery of Dionysiou. In the building is a cove with the skulls of the deceased monks. Some have their names written on their foreheads. So we won’t forget them. They seem eager to rush out of the cove; towards the resurrection.
The bones are stored in another building. They were laying there in a chaotic way. All mixed up.

(photo by Herman Voogd)

The recently deceased monks have a peaceful temporary grave in the cemetery. Here with the monastery Dionysiou in the background.
The cemetery is built on two terraces looking down to the harbour. The age the monk died, happened to be my age. It did not feel like a coincidence, when I stood there. Some come sooner, others later, so I thought, it is the transient nature of all earthly goods.

Bas Kamps