11. 1903

Photo by monk Gavriil from Panteleimonos, made on August 21, 1903, with a “revealing” image of the Mother of God (on the left). The photo was published in a Greek newspaper at that time. It still remains a mystery, with some monks claiming that they believe the unknown female on the left was the Virgin Mary herself. It was published for the first time in 1997. Read more about it here.

12. 1909

A photograph of Agiou Paulou monastery in the winter or early spring, with snow in the valley behind it. Clearly visible is the grit left behind by the streams during many years. Nowadays the water flow has been channeled and most of the sediment has disappeared.

13. 1914 -1918

During the first World War a French (and Russian) army came to Athos. This is probably why many pictures and publications are to be found about Athos. Most of the pictures were made by Millet and Martel, as we showed you here. This general Sarrail in Karyes.

14. 1917

nr 1: Excelsior magazine, published on February 22th 1917 about the army visiting Panteleimonos, consisting of 300 soldiers. They found 475 guns made in Austria, 441 bayonets and 103.000 cartridges (bullets?) in the monasteries.

1917 nr 2: A procession with the Portatissa icon from Iviron to the nearby aqueduct. The house in the foreground does not exist anymore, have a look at the photos I made on this spot in 2019. It looks as if they are renovating the aqueduct (it was built in the 17th century and was renovated in 1858). And what is the strange tower next to the house? It looks as if the water flow from the aqueduct is diverted to this tower. And do we see laundry/white sheets hanging to dry in the garden behind the house. Might the fresh water have been used in a laundry at that place?

1917 nr 3: the Portatissa icon in procession near Iviron

1917 nr 4: photographer Ali Sami Bey with a monk from Iviron. He started his career in the Ottoman army and later became the Imperial photographer for Sultan Abdul Hamid II. Following the Young Turk Revolution of 1908, supporters of the Sultan were purged and in 1909 the Sultan was exiled to Greece. Ali Sami arrived in Thessaloniki, Greece in 1909 and published the newspaper Hak (Right),while in 1916 he published the French newspaper Le droit (The Law). He was nick-named Bahriyeli (sailor). Read more about him here.

Here is another picture made by Ali Sami Bey, made much later, in 1928: icon painters in Agia Anna

1917 nr 5: a publication about the occupation of Athos in the French magazine “Le pays de France”, with pictures of Agiou Paulou, skiti Prodromou, Xenofontos, Panteleimonos and Simonospetras. A Franco-Russe army embarked on January 16th 1917, to protect the 20 monasteries, where 5 to 6 thousand monks live.

1917 nr 6: another publication about the occupation of Athos by the “allies” in the French magazine “Le pays de France”, with the ships at the quay of Panteleimonos.

1917 nr 7, 8 and 9: a publication the New York Times, with pictures of Panteleimonos and Xenofontos. Below two photo’s of the courtyards of Chilandariou and Xenofontos. By coincidence these sheets are for sale at Ebay (for to much money).

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15. 1920:

The courtyard and phiale of Esfigmenou in 1920.

16. 1924 nr 1:

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Athos Monks in Athens: the proclamation Greek republic

1924 nr 2:

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Two photographs from Chilandariou monastery. The first photograph is from the famous grapes of Simeon, that has been growing there for almost 100 years now (and maybe much longer!). I frequently get questions from readers how to obtain or buy these grapes, by couples who try to get some help to start a family. It is said that eating a raisin of this vine gives fertility. Unfortunately I have to disappoint them, I do not know where of how to get these raisins. But they are good protected, as you can see in this post from 2016.

The other image from 1924 is from the French magazine “L’Illustration”: in 2016 I bought this magazine and I showed it to you here.

Tomorrow I will start with photo’s from 1925.

Wim Voogd, 17-6