History and present days
The construction of the church of Protaton dates to 962. There are testimonies claiming that at the same place there used to be an older building, dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. However, it was much smaller and demolished. The first church was rebuilt by Leo, brother of Nikiforos Phokas. Subsequent work and maintenance of the church was taken care of by the Community of the Elders, as well as by Saint Athanasios the Athonite.
Architecture
As for the architectural structure of the church, it is a three-aisled basilica without a dome. In the central nave there is a raised skylight, while on the eastern side there are three semicircular arches. The new church was much more spacious than the older structure. However, the growth of monasticism, with the contribution of Saint Athanasios and the foundation of the Holy Monastery of Great Lavra, multiplied the needs of the community. The monks who came to Karyes to honor the Virgin Mary, to participate in the great festivals and the meetings of the Athonite community, exceeded the capacity of the church. Nevertheless, the church has retained the form it has to this day, while in the 19th century two open narthexes were added, on the north and west sides. At the same time, the elevated bell tower to the north-east of the church was rebuilt.
The Frescoes
The church of Protaton is a masterpiece of Byzantine iconographic art. Its frescoes, painted by the great Manuel Panselinos in the 12th-13th centuries, constitute an exemplary work of Byzantine art and are studied by numerous researchers and artists. The iconographic program and the painting principles of the church of Protaton have created a whole artistic movement, based on the art of Panselinos.
Over the years, the frescoes have suffered serious damage. During the Turkish occupation, in the 16th-17th centuries, the mural decorations were supplemented by a few additional iconographic works. In the 1950s, extensive conservation and restoration work began..jpg)
The iconographic program of the Protaton continues to be of great interest until today.
The Importance of the Protaton
The church of Protaton is dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. The Virgin Mary, as the patroness of Mount Athos, protector of the monks and queen of the peninsula, is venerated in the capital of the monastic state. Her holy and miraculous icon "Axion Esti" is placed in the church and is celebrated every year on 11th of July. This day, together with the day of the Dormition, are two of the most important festivals of the church and of the whole of Mount Athos. In this church is also placed the miraculous icon of Jesus Christ Antifonitis (The One who Replies Back). According to tradition, the icon proclaimed to the monk who was celebrating the Divine Liturgy, in order to hasten the sacrament and to allow a venerable old man, who would soon surrender his spirit to the Lord, to receive the Holy Communion.
The church of Protaton is the jewel of Mount Athos. It is the center of the Athonite state, the seat of the sacred administration and the Divine grace, that protects the lives of all monks.
