Zograf Monastery

{{Short description|Eastern Orthodox monastery, Mount Athos}} {{Other uses|Zograf (disambiguation)|Zografou (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox monastery | name = Zografou Monastery | native_name = {{lang|el|Ζωγράφου}} | native_name_lang = el | image = Zograf Monastery.jpg | alt = | caption = External view of the monastery | full = Holy Monastery of Zografou | denomination = [[Bulgarian Orthodox Church]] | order = [[Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople]] | established = Late 9th or early 10th century, 919 in some sources | disestablished = | dedication = [[Saint George]] | diocese = [[Monastic community of Mount Athos|Mount Athos]] | churches = | founder = Moses, Aaron and John (all from Ohrid) | prior = | people = | status = [[Monastery]] | functional_status = Active | heritage_designation = | designated_date = | completed_date = | location = [[Mount Athos]], [[North Aegean]], [[Greece]] | map_type = Greece | map_size = 240px | map_relief = 1 | mapframe = yes | coordinates = {{coord|40|18|21|N|24|09|37|E|region:GR_type:landmark_source:dewiki|display=inline,title}} | public_access = Men only | other_info = | website = {{url|https://zograf.eu/}} }}

The '''Saint George the Zograf Monastery''' or '''Zograf Monastery''' ({{langx|el|Μονή Ζωγράφου}}, ''Moní Zográphou''; {{langx|bg|Зографски манастир}}) is one of the twenty [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]] [[monastery|monasteries]] in [[Mount Athos]] (the "Holy Mountain") in the [[North Aegean]] region of [[Greece]]. It was founded in the late 9th or early 10th century by three [[Bulgarians]] from [[Ohrid]] and is regarded as the historical Bulgarian monastery on Mount Athos, and is traditionally inhabited by [[Bulgarian Orthodox Church|Bulgarian Orthodox]] [[monk]]s.<ref>[[Dennis P. Hupchick]] (1993) The Bulgarians in the Seventeenth Century Slavic Orthodox Society and Culture Under Ottoman Rule; [[McFarland & Company|McFarland]], {{ISBN|9780899508221}}, pp. 94-96.</ref>

The monastery is named after the 13th or 14th century icon of [[Saint George]], known as Saint George the Zograf ({{lang|bg|Светѝ Гео̀рги Зогра̀ф}}). The name of the latter comes from the belief that the icon [[Acheiropoieta|mysteriously painted itself on the prepared board]] ({{lang|el|zograf(os)}} in Greek means "painter" (from {{lang|el|zoe}}="life" and {{lang|el|graphos}}="scribe").

==History==

The earliest written evidence of the monastery's existence dates from 980. During the [[Middle Ages]], the monastery was generously supported by the Bulgarian rulers, such as [[Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria|Ivan Asen II]] and [[Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria|Ivan Alexander]], since it was a matter of pride for the Bulgarian Orthodox Church to maintain a monastery on Athos. The Zograf Monastery has also received land endowments by [[List of Byzantine Emperors|Byzantine]] (the first donor being [[Leo VI the Wise]]) and [[List of Serbian monarchs|Serbian]] rulers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Holy Monastery of Zografou {{!}} Mount Athos Monasteries |url=https://www.christian-pilgrimage-journeys.com/mount-athos/monasteries/holy-monastery-zografou/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241105165414/https://www.christian-pilgrimage-journeys.com/mount-athos/monasteries/holy-monastery-zografou/ |archive-date=2024-11-05 |access-date=2025-12-29 |website=www.christian-pilgrimage-journeys.com |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Zograf Monastery was plundered and burnt down by [[Crusaders]], working under orders from the [[Byzantine emperor]] [[Michael VIII Palaiologos]], in 1275, resulting in the death of 26 monks. These included the [[igumen]] ([[abbot]]) Thomas, as well as the monks Barsanuphius, Cyril, Micah, Simon, Hilarion, James, Job, Cyprian, Sabbas, James, Martinian, Cosmas, Sergius, Paul, Menas, Ioasaph, Ioanicius, Anthony, Euthymius, Dometian, Parthenius, and four laymen.<ref>{{Cite web |title=26 Monastic Martyrs of Zographou Monastery on Mount Athos |url=https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2022/10/10/108024-26-monastic-martyrs-of-zographou-monastery-on-mount-athos |access-date=2025-12-29 |website=www.oca.org}}</ref>

The reason for this attack was the opposition of the Athonite monks to the [[Second Council of Lyon|Union of Lyons]], which the Emperor had supported for political reasons. Having hanged the [[Protos (monastic office)|Protos]] (the elected president of Mount Athos), and having killed many monks in [[Vatopedi]], [[Iveron]] and other monasteries, the Latins attacked Zographou. Their [[martyr]]dom is commemorated annually on October 10 (October 23 on the [[Gregorian Calendar]]) throughout the Eastern Orthodox Church.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}

[[Mercenaries]] of the [[Catalan Grand Company]] raided the Holy Mountain for two years (1307–9), sacking many monasteries, plundering the treasures of Christendom, and terrorising the monks. Of the 300 monasteries on Athos at the beginning of the 14th century, only 35 were left by the end.<ref>{{Citation |contribution=Athos in the ancient Greek period |year=2000 |title=The History of Mount Athos |publisher=Macedonian Heritage |url=http://www.macedonian-heritage.gr/Athos/General/AthosHistory.html |access-date=2007-10-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101021081733/http://www.macedonian-heritage.gr/Athos/General/AthosHistory.html |archive-date=October 21, 2010 }}</ref> But the monastery recovered quickly with the help of grants and support from the [[Palaiologos|Palaeologue Emperors]] and the princes of the [[Moldavia|Moldavian]] and [[Wallachia|Wallachian]] Principalities. The buildings were reconstructed in the late 13th century with the financial aid of Byzantine Emperor [[Andronicus II Palaeologus]]. The monastery was also given numerous ''[[metochia]]'' (properties) in parts of Romania, Bulgaria, Russia, and modern-day Turkey, but retains today only those in Greece.

The monastery exists in its modern appearance since the 16th century, while its present-day buildings date from the middle 18th century. The south wing was built in 1750, the east in 1758, the small church was erected in 1764 and the large one in 1801. The north and west wing are from the second half of the 19th century and large-scale construction ended in 1896 with the [[Saints Cyril and Methodius]] Church and the raising of the [[bell tower]].{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}} [[File:Зограф.jpg|thumb|200px|Interior view]]

Among the numerous [[relic]]s and other holy objects treasured at the monastery is the [[Wonderworking]] [[Icon]] of the [[Theotokos]] "Of the [[Akathist]]," the [[feast day]] of which is celebrated on October 10. Since Mount Athos uses the traditional [[Julian Calendar]], the day they celebrate as October 10 currently falls on October 23 of the modern [[Gregorian Calendar]]. Today the Monastery has 15 monks.<ref name="MA.GR-Zographou">{{cite web |title=Zographou |url=http://www.mountathos.gr/active.aspx?mode=en{7475eec7-5c43-4d1a-81cb-7fe70c76416a}View |website=mountathos.gr |access-date=12 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160314055450/http://www.mountathos.gr/active.aspx?mode=en{7475eec7-5c43-4d1a-81cb-7fe70c76416a}View |archive-date=14 March 2016 |date=14 March 2016}}</ref>

==Library== {{Unsourced|section|date=September 2022}} {{see also|List of libraries in Greece}} [[File:ZographensisColour.jpg|180px|thumb|Page from the ''[[Codex Zographensis]]'']] The Zograf Monastery houses a [[library]] of major significance to [[Culture of Bulgaria|Bulgarian culture]], preserving [[medieval]] [[manuscript]]s such as a 15th-century copy of the passional of [[Saint Naum|Saint Naum of Ohrid]], the 14th-century passional of [[Parascheva of the Balkans|Saint Paraskevi]], the original draft of [[Paisius of Hilendar]]'s ''[[Istoriya Slavyanobolgarskaya]]'', and the ''History of Zograf''. The monastic library contains 388 manuscripts in [[Church Slavonic]] and 126 in Greek, as well as about 10,000 printed books altogether. Two [[medieval Bulgarian royal charters]], the Zograf Charter and the Rila Charter, were discovered in the monastery's library.

==Honours== [[Zograf Peak]] on [[Livingston Island]] in the [[South Shetland Islands]], Antarctica is named after the Zograf Monastery.{{cn|date=September 2022}}

The monastery and its seal are depicted on the [[Obverse and reverse|obverse]] of the Bulgarian 2 [[Bulgarian lev|levs]] banknote, issued in 1999 and 2005.<ref>[http://www.bnb.bg Bulgarian National Bank]. Notes and Coins in Circulation: [http://www.bnb.bg/bnb/notes_coins.nsf/vNotesCoins/CA9CED4AF282A1D5C2256B51003606F1?OpenDocument&EN 2 levs] (1999 issue) & [http://www.bnb.bg/bnb/notes_coins.nsf/vNotesCoins/50629E4972248ABBC22570CF0032A992?OpenDocument&EN 2 levs] (2005 issue). – Retrieved on 26 March 2009.</ref>

On March 21, 2011, the Bulgarian National Bank issued a commemorative silver coin with nominal value of 10 [[Bulgarian lev|levs]] featuring the monastery.<ref>[http://news.coinupdate.com/zograf-monastery-silver-commemorative-coin-0744/ Coin Update News] Zograf Monastery Silver Commemorative Coin</ref>

==Gallery== <gallery> Zograf1853.png|Photo of 1853 171 6 repas de la mission française au Zographe.jpg|French mission in the monastery, 1917, during [[WWI]] Zograf main entrance.jpg|Main entrance ZografouFromTheBellTower.jpg|View from the bell tower Zograf monastery.jpg|Exterior view Zografou3.jpg|The inner court Пристанище Зограф.jpg|The anchorage of the monastery </gallery>

== See also == {{stack|{{portal|Christianity|Greece}}}} * [[Bulgarian Orthodox Church]] * [[:Category:Monasteries in Greece|List of monasteries in Greece]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category}} * [http://www.sveta-gora-zograph.com/ Zograf Monastery] (in Bulgarian) * [http://www.pravoslavieto.com/manastiri/aton/zograph/index.htm Zograf Monastery at Pravoslavieto.com] (in Bulgarian) * [https://web.archive.org/web/20160314055450/http://www.mountathos.gr/active.aspx?mode=en%7B7475eec7-5c43-4d1a-81cb-7fe70c76416a%7DView Zographou Monastery at the Mount Athos website] * [http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=108024 26 Martyrs of the Zographou Monastery on Mt. Athos at the hands of the Crusaders] Orthodox [[icon]] and [[synaxarion]]. * [https://web.archive.org/web/20041025170217/http://www.westsrbdio.org/prolog/my.html?day=10&month=October The Holy Martyrs of Zographou] from ''The Prologue from Ohrid''.

[[Category:Zograf Monastery| ]] [[Category:Bulgarian Orthodox monasteries]] [[Category:Monasteries on Mount Athos]] [[Category:Christian monasteries established in the 10th century]] [[Category:Byzantine monasteries in Greece]] [[Category:Medieval Bulgarian Orthodox church buildings]] [[Category:Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece]]