Founded in the eleventh century, the monastery received its name after either the Roman emperor Karakala or the monk, Karakalas, who was said to be its founder. Karakalou was first mentioned in documents from 1018 and 1087. Built on the side of a mountain Karakalou appears now like a fortress overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, the consequence of having been destroyed twice. In the thirteenth century it was devastated by Latin and pirate raids during the period of occupation by Frankish forces after they had conquered Constantinople in 1204. Then, prior to its rebuilding in the sixteenth century, the monastery was […]

The Iviron Monastery, (Greek: Ιβήρων) is one of the twenty monasteries located on the peninsula of Mount Athos in northeastern Greece.

The Monastery of Philotheou is one of twenty monasteries on the Athonite peninsula and is located on the eastern side. It is twelfth in hierarchical rank among the monasteries.