In part one and two – posts 2205 and 2206 – I showed you the postcards from the first 17 monasteries. In this post I will present the postcards of the remaing three: nr 18, Esfigmenou, nr 19, Panteleimonos or Roussikon (with a large amount of postcards), and the 20th monastery, Konstamonitou (also called Kastamounitou). And to finish the postcards-posts I will publish some images from skitis and other places on Athos.
18 Esfigmenou
Esfigmenou, date unknown, aerial pictureEsfigmenou, date unknown, by “Editeur J.S. Varsano, Salonique” in French and Arabic language Esfigmenou, date unknown, number 22, in French and EnglishEsfigmenou, date unknown, colered photograph, in Greek (Holy Mountain, the katholicon of Esfigmenou) and French (souvenir from Saloniki) with two (later added and painted) Greek flags on the roofs
19 Panteleimonos
This aerial photo showed Panteleimonos, after the big fires in 1968, that destroyed the beautifull waiting room of the guesthouse and the parts of the monastery itself.
Read more about the 1968 fire in this post. The following old postcards are are from before 1968, with all the buildings of the monastery still intact.
Panteleimonos, date unknown, in Greek, seen from from the NorthPanteleimonos, date unknown, in Russian and French , seen from from the North, with a Greek stamp Panteleimonos, date unknown, in Greek and French, seen from the South Panteleimonos, date unknown, in Russian and French, seen from the South, in full colorPanteleimonos, date unknown, the archondariki is burnedPanteleimonos, 1913 by Stéphane Passet, probably not a postcard, but a fine picture anyway. Read more about this expedition to Athos in post 1973.Panteleimonos, date unknown, almost at the same spot as the picture above and most likely taken in the same period. At the white building in the middle some bushes lack on the photograph, so this one might be earlier then 1913.Panteleimonos, date unknown, colered: we are closing in on the monastery with its bell tower and domes of the churches Panteleimonos, date unknown, French nr 29:, black and white: almost at the same spot as the postcard above, now with many monks posing for the picture Panteleimonos, date unknown, colered: in Russian and French: the South coast, with the large courtyard/garden behind the archondariki and with the gate Panteleimonos, date unknown, in Russian and French ,colored: probably the same maker as the postcard above. The katholicon with the bell tower and the double church in the right corner Panteleimonos, date unknown, in Russian and French, colored: also probably the same maker as the postcard above. The interior of the double church, here called the “Pokrov” church Panteleimonos, colored, 17 October 1918, in Russian and French, with a stamp, probably the same maker as the three postcards above. Here is the East part of the monastery, with the church of the Archangels and the four Hierarchs (Metropolitans of Moscow). The large building on the left is a general storehouse and and place for the workers. Until recently it was in ruins, nowadays it is completely renovated. Panteleimonos, date unknown, in Russian and French: probably the same maker as the four postcards above. Here is a picture of the interior, with 9 monks in he hospital. With a written text: Souvenir Du mont Athos Panteleimonos, date unknown, in Greek and French, black and white: almost at the same spot as the postcard above Panteleimonos, date unknown, in French: Paris Av. de Breteuil 4, Conseil gé des Pelerinages (General Council of Pilgrims). The pilgrims accompanied by the abbot leave the monastery Roussikon.
Panteleimonos, date unknown, in French: The domes of the monastery of the Russians: Paris Av. de Breteuil 4, Conseil gé des Pelerinages (General Council of Pilgrimages) with the chapel of Ag. Mitrofanis of Voróni and the double church
Panteleimonos, date unknown, with the katholicon and its typical green and yellow color and the front of the chapel of Ag. Mitrofanis of Voróni
The backside of the postcard above with the written text: Czarina – soldiers
Panteleimonos, date unknown, French: this probably a photograph taken in the photo studio of the monastery, where two Dutch pilgrims found a treasure with (mostly broken) old glass-negatives in 1976 – for more information see post 861 and 862. On the last photo in post 862 you can recognize the same piece of furniture as on this picture.
20 Konstamonitou
Konstamonitou, date unknown, full color: aerial picture of this small and often forgotten monastery. That is why only two postcards are found on the internet. We can see the gate and the West and South wing.Konstamonitou, date unknown, colerd, in Greek and French . Here the name of the monastery is spelled Kastamonitou. Here we see the East and the South wing.Under the dome left is the entrance to the monastery. The dome on the other side is not present at the first postcard above.
This last picture from December 1956 of a monastery is riddle to me, because I could not determine which monastery it might be. Lavra perhaps? Who can help?
A Dafni
Dafni, date unknown, the main port of Athos, aerial picture, with the customs office still on the pier to control all pilgrims. I see no cars, so this must be before 1963. Here a quay wall is build, on the next picture you still can see a beach-like coast. Dafni, date unknown, in Greek and French, colered: I think this even is an older postcard, bcause you see a sailing boat with masts (and no cars either), only a beach, no quay wall.
B Skiti Andreou
Skiti Andreou, date unknown, seen from the North in Kapsala, with Andreou left from the middle of this photo, and the right the large Russian kelli of St. Chrysostomos, now totally in ruins. Skiti Andreou, 1962, aerial picture, with the newly build road to Dafni in the background Skiti Andreou, date unknown, seen from the West, with the kitchen gardens Skiti Andreou, 1981: excact the same picture, with completely different colors!
C Nea skiti
Nea skiti, date unknown, seen from the South Nea skiti, 1953, nr 256,in Greek and French, with the bell tower and the kariakon , novelle skiti de St Paul Mt Athos Athos
With the written text, in German: “habe die Adresse verlegt, gebt sie bitte Frau Neuss” meaning : I have misplaced the address, please give it to Ms. Neuss.
D Skiti Agia Anna
Nea skiti, 1911, in Greek and FrenchSkiti Anna, date unknown, nr 218, in Greek and French, La skite de st Anne Mt AthosSkiti Anna, Paris Av. de Breteuil 4, Conseil gé des Pelerinages (General Council of Pilgrimages) , Le skite sainte-Anne et le sommet de L’Athos couronné de neige (with the top of the mountain covered in snow).
E Skiti Prodromou
skiti Prodromou, date unknown, aerial photograph, in Rumenian skiti Prodromou, date unknown, seen from the Sout
According to me this might very near the spot where the German army had their flag position, overlooking the Eastern and Southern coast of Athos. Soon after the Second World War the place was demolished. Could the stones at the foreground be a parts of it, or should we look for pieces of concrete (more to the edge on the Soutern part of this ridge?). I am determined to find this place once!
skiti Prodromou, date unknown, aerial view of an artist impression. The top of the mountain is on the wrong spot and the tower at the entrance is too high!
F Skiti Profitou Eliou
Skiti Profitou Eliou, date unknown, fulll color, seen from the West Skiti Profitou Eliou, date unknown, fulll color , seen from the South
G Miscellaneous postcards
The top of Mount Athos, with Lavra, date unknown, aerial photograph Mount Athos, with Lavra,, now with the text Mont Athos in French and dated 14 August 1984.On the backside a written text in EnglishMount Athos, date unknown, from Unesco, with a Chinese text?Athos postcard with different monasteries, date unknownAgiou Vasiliou,1980 Kaliagra – arsanas Koutloumousiou, date unknown, with the summit in the backgroundKellia near Karyes: I am not shure if this is right description of the location.Athos, West coast, date unknown: in French and English, ND Phot, Visé Paris no 65: it is difficult to say where this is excactly, somewhere at the harbor of Jovanitsa maybe of closer to Ouranopolis?Two novices (?) 13-2-1935, probably from the photo studio of PanteleimonosA shoemaker monk, 1953, place unknown
An Athos monk, 1983
Kelli Nicholas Bourazeri, 21-8-1905, in Russian, with a French stamp, and the written text: Vue du Mont Athos
The large kelli lays near Karyes: you can see the building on the foreground has scaffolds and is not finished yet. The workers threw large amounts of building material in front of this building. The fine bell tower has disappeared in the meanwhile, but behind it a beautiful new church is build recently.
The backside of this postcard, send to France Marseille, with a post stamp of the German post in Constantinopel (?) Kelli Nicholas Bourazeri, date unknown, in Russian,colored. Here the building on the previous postcard is finished.
This ends the overview of Athos postcards over the centuries, I hope you liked it.
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Many thanks, mr. Wim Voogd, for this very interesting series. The mountain itself also very impressive.