Monastery of Stavronikita

Stavronikita, the last of the great Athonite monasteries to be formally consecrated, received its official status in 1536, though its story begins much earlier. The site was used by monks from the tenth century, but the complex is dominated by a formidable tower that predates the monastery itself. This structure, originally an eleventh-century defensive outpost guarding the route to Karyes, was rebuilt in the early sixteenth century just before the monastery's foundation, with its top two floors added after 1744. Standing 25 metres tall on a square base of 8.5 metres, it gives the whole complex a distinctly fortress-like character. For years the tower languished, abandoned and decaying, but extensive restoration has returned it to excellent condition. The monastery, dedicated to Saint Nicholas, occupies a rocky perch on the eastern shore between Iviron and Pantokratoros, and ranks fifteenth in the Athonite hierarchy.