On our 2015 trip we approached the Holy Mountain by boat from Ierissos . We sat foot on land at the Vatopedi harbour (arsanas). The boat docked at the peer you see above. This early photograph is taken in 1870. While standing on the peer I made some pictures of the boathouses and storagebuildings on the waterfront.
Vatopedi boathouses.
Boathouses with on top of the hill the ruins of the Athonite Academy.
The storagebuildings lower part is build in 1820, the top of this building is from a later date (after 1870) as the other type of bricks and the vintage photo show.
The main entrance of the storagebuilding on the other side. An ancient stone with a bull was used to decorate the wall. Maybe this part came from the pre-christian city of Charadria (mentioned by Strabon) which was probably located near Vatopedi. See the reaction of Claudiu on this in the comment below.
Again Vatopedi in 1870 with the large boathouse and chapel. In 2009 I photographed it from the road.
The boathouse and chapel in 2009 were almost in ruins. But in 2015 they were restoring the place.
2015: The building are being restored.
Text and photo’s Herman Voogd
Athos - Agios Oros 
“Maybe this part came from the pre-christian city of Charadria (mentioned by Strabon) which was probably located near Vatopedi.” Wrong!
Please, read here: http://www.buciumul.ro/2015/07/03/stefan-cel-mare-si-sfant-si-muntele-athos/
“Among the donors who supported the Vatopedi Monastery Sea – the second in a hierarchical after the Great Lavra, is Stephen the Great and Holy (1472-1496). He built PIRG (tower defense) and arsanaua church on the waterfront. On this special stone wall with three floors to this day is observed digging a marble votive painting and a Greek inscription. The painting depicts închinând Stephen the Great crowned Virgin Mary with Child in her arms a church. At the bottom of the emblem is observed Moldova, head of bison and 1496.”
I just encountered your interesting blog a few days ago.
I’ve been to Vatopedi several times, and once had the opportunity to see the monastery’s sacristy museum. In there are replicas of both the inscription mentioned by Claudiu and of the fragment with the bull’s head. However this fragment is not on the boathouse, but on the neighboring warehouse (photos 1, 4), and it is indeed pre-Christian from the 1st century. The great boathouse (both the warehouse and the boathouse are pictured in photo 7) inscription shows Stefan the Great offering the boathouse to the Mother of God, with the bull’s head underneath, as described in the quote. Photos and descriptions of these inscriptions may also be found in the two-volume album published by the monastery, “The Holy and Great Monastery of Vatopaidi”.