In this photo survey we will take a closer look at the Serbian monastery Chilandariou (or Hilandar).  My last stay in this monastery dates from 1997, some time before the dramatic fire of 2004.  I clearly remember the bats flying in the corridors at dusk and the warnings monks gave us: “don’t go in this part of the monastery, because the you might fall through the rotten floors….”. Sadly all these old parts of the building has been burnt in 2004, but on the other hand, it gave the possibility to rebuild it and make it even better then it was before. The dangerous floors of Chilandariou in 1997

Let’s have look how the monastery looks now, 20 years later, in 2017, on the outside. But first I will show you the plan of the monastery (Mylonas 2000).In red are the numbers of the pictures that I will show you below, starting with the entrance with some Serbian pilgrims and one Dutch pilgrim (smiling at the photographer).Photo 0: the entrance (Δ) and East wall (with the Savvas defence tower – E – in the background).Photo 1: the entrance (Δ and θ2 – treasury) of Chilandariou, with a electric (!) Golf car. Wouldn’t it be great if all  cars on Athos used electric energy somewhere in the future, a good choice for the invironment. The East wing – H -, still under contruction  – with cells of monks and the Savvas defence tower – E –Photo 3: the Savvas defence tower – E – and the wing where the library used the be (θ)This picture shows the librarian in 1997 (left) and the dwarf monk , the gardener at that time. Photo 4: the tower on the right is the bell tower (A1), containing two chaples: on the first the floor thechapel of Saint Johannes of Rila (ζ) and the upper floor the chapel of Saint Stephanos the Protomartyr (ε- situation in 2000).Photo 5: a detail of a window next to the towerPhoto 6: looking back long the East wingPhoto 7: the South East corner, with a chapel behind the blind wall (δ) called: “Protection by the Mother of God”Photo 8: the South wall and a gatePhoto 9 and 10: the South wall with the gate and balconiesPhoto 11: the balconies and Agios Georgios tower (Eα).Photo 12: the same tower seen from the West side – with monk’s cellsPhoto 13: a narrow shooting hole in the wallPhoto 14: looking back at the South wallPart of the plan of the West wall of the monastery, with the numbers of the photosPhoto 15: the South-West corner, with the dining room (trapeza- Γ, with the vinery below M1)Photo 16: the same spot, seen froma different angle (what might drain the white downpipe from the trapeza?)Photo 17: the West wall, partly under construction, with trapeza, the cellar for food storage and cells (M and H)Photo 18: with the guest dining room (trapeza archondarikiou – Γα) and the guest kitchen Γ1α. Nowadays the guestroom is outside the monastery.Photo 19: detail of this part of the West wall, with a wooden stairway in the cornerPhoto 20: the North West wall: the new guesthouse (archondariki) is on the left, outside the wallsPhoto 21: the North wall: the old guesthouse (M2) Photo 22: the old guesthouse – with the (former?) fire wood storage (M4) belowPhoto 23: the old guesthouse seen from the new guesthouse (with laundry drying outside) The new guesthouse used to be the workers house outside the monastery.Photo 24: the gate that leads to entrance. This is where we stop our tour around the monastery today: next time we take a closer look at the buildings outside the monastery.

Wim Voogd, 19-8-2018