The Desert of Mount Athos ( el, Έρημος του Αγίου Όρους) is a geographical area of Mount Athos that corresponds to the southern slopes of Mount Athos. Located along the southernmost coast of the Athos peninsula, it stretches roughly from Katounakia in the west to Vigla in the east. The Desert of Mount Athos has been a center of

Christian asceticism Asceticism (; from the el, ἄσκησις, áskesis, exercise', 'training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their p ...

and hesychasm for over 1,000 years. The area is not literally a desert biome, but was named after the

Scetis Wadi El Natrun (Arabic: "Valley of Natron"; Coptic: , "measure of the hearts") is a depression in northern Egypt that is located below sea level and below the Nile River level. The valley contains several alkaline lakes, natron-rich salt ...

and Nitrian Deserts of Lower Egypt, where the Egyptian

Desert Fathers The Desert Fathers or Desert Monks were early Christian hermits and ascetics, who lived primarily in the Scetes desert of the Roman province of Egypt, beginning around the third century AD. The is a collection of the wisdom of some of the ea ...

had lived as monks and ascetics during

Late Antiquity Late antiquity is the time of transition from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, generally spanning the 3rd–7th century in Europe and adjacent areas bordering the Mediterranean Basin. The popularization of this periodization in English ha ...

. Most of the area is covered with sclerophyllous scrub vegetation and mixed broadleaf deciduous and evergreen forests. Unlike the rest of Mount Athos where motor vehicles are regularly used, transportation within the Desert of Mount Athos can only be done by foot or with mules on the various rocky

footpaths A footpath (also pedestrian way, walking trail, nature trail) is a type of thoroughfare that is intended for use only by pedestrians and not other forms of traffic such as motorized vehicles, bicycles and horses. They can be found in a wide v ...

in the area.

Settlements

From east to west, settlements located within the Desert of Mount Athos include: * Vigla * Agios Nilos *

Kafsokalyvia Kafsokalyvia ( el, Καυσοκαλύβια, lit=burning hut) is a settlement and idiorrhythmic skete in Mount Athos. It is located at the southern edge of the Athos peninsula. Kafsokalyvia is named after Maximos Kausokalybites ("Maximos the Hut B ...

* Kerasia * Hermitage of Saint Basil * Katounakia * Karoulia There are various

monastic cell A cell is a small room used by a hermit, monk, nun or anchorite to live and as a devotional space. Cells are often part of larger cenobitic monastic communities such as Catholic and Orthodox monasteries and Buddhist vihara, but may also form sta ...

s scattered across the Desert of Mount Athos that are primarily inhabited by Greek, Russian, and Romanian hermits. The peak of Karmilio Oros (887 m, located near the Hermitage of Saint Basil) is also located within the Desert of Mount Athos.

References

Mount Athos Places associated with hesychasm Car-free zones in Europe {{CentralMacedonia-geo-stub

Settlements

See also

References