I started my story of a visit to Xiropotamou in 2019 February this year, with an photo essay of the outside walls and drone footage (post 2234). In the next post – part 2 – I payed attention to the courtyard and the strange figure – a jaquemart – that once stood in the bell-tower.
To end this photo-essay I will take a closer look at the phiale and the exo-narthex of the Katholicon.
The phiale seen from the guesthouse – archondariki, with the corridor between the Katholicon and the trapeza behind itThe phiale with a monk walking around the church with the semantron, just before the start of the evening serviceThe phiale and Katholicon seen from the ground floorThe phiale, with two fellow pilgrims admiring the painted ceiling of the roof: on the stone in front a relief with a textThe bass-relief with a Greek text in a cartouche, surrounded by plant-like motivesTwo pictures of the next stone plate, with a plan of the monastery on it. On the right the bell-tower with the clock, under it the small secondary gate, that leads to a kitchen garden (?) and in the middle the Katholicon. On the left side two towers show up, nowadays these towers are gone.The ceiling of the phialeIn the middel of the dome: Christ and the 40 martyrs that surround him, and different scenes from the live of Christ.The phiale at night with its colorfull stained glassThe corridor between the Katholicon and the trapeza with a fine marble floorThe door to the trapeza (unsharp photo!)The door to the KatholiconAbove the door to the Katholicon: wall paintings with scenes of the death of the 40 MartyrsThe right part of the exo-narthex Wall painting of several SaintsThe door in the exo-narthex that leads to the courtyardThe same door seen from the courtyardThe left part of the exo-narthex with pilgrim Richard, looking at an extraordinary sceneThe beautiful scene in the exo-narthex: a last judgement scene with Holy men, wild animals and devils, and with the Eye of God watching it in a cloud
Some of the wild animals in detail
The domes and arches with scenes from the 40 MartyrsHarvest of grapes by AngelsPart of the courtyard walls and windows with a special detail: a cat of lion like figureThe gargoyle at the outside wall at sunsetXiropotamou in 2019Xiropotamou in 1918 – from a French album the aviateur
Near Xiropotamou: a hummingbird bee
This blog closes down the photo survay about the “forgotten” monastery of Athos, Xiropotamou. I discribe it as a ‘forgotten’ monastery because most pilgrims pass it on their way to Karyes of Dafni without a visit, its architecture is not the most impressive I have seen on the Holy Mountain and its reputation is that it is not very hospitable, especially for non-orthodox pilgrims, but even orthodox pilgrims complained about it. But anyway, is was worth a visit and it reveiled some interesting facts about the existance of jaquemarts on the Holy Mountain.
Athos - Agios Oros 
Those murals are exquisite. My first time seeing a hummingbird bee… amazing!