Ιστορικές φωτο του Αγίου Όρους [Historic photos of Mount Athos]

[Nicholas Peppas]

Aghion Oros has always been a special place to visit. For years it has been accessible by small boats from Ouranopolis (south route) and Ierissos (north route). In the 1950s and 60s, these were very small boats, no larger than the boats doing the Piraeus-Paloukia (Salamis) route. What you see 50 years later http://flickr.com/photos/bubbus/192672591/ not only did not exist then, but it was not necessary as the traffic to Mt Athos was small.

Here we present two pictures from a 1967 booklet by Andreas, Aghioritan monk, entitled Guide and Color Historical Album of Aghion Oros, Eptalofos Publishers, Athens, 1967.

Ouranoupolis.jpg

The first shows the tower of Ouranoupolis in 1963. The Tower of Prosforio is located next to the harbor. The tower is the largest and best preserved one in Halkidiki. It was built by the Vatopediou monastery before 1344.

Karyes.jpg

The second shows Karyes, the little port of Dafni, Agion OrosΆ capital, back in the late 50s.

And here is a wonderful photo of Nea Roda, a town that was totally rebuilt by refugees from Asia Minor and especially from Kapadocia after 1922. She is between Ierissos and Aghio Oros on the north side of the peninsula.

I was there in 1971 on my way to a 20-day stay at Aghion Oros and the region did not have the development we see now... Nea Roda had 800 inhabitants then and Ouranoupolis 525!

Nea Roda.jpg