The Major Skete of St. Anne’s

St. Anne’s Skete (or, less commonly, The Major Skete of St. Anne’s) is one of four sketes attached to the Great Lavra of Mount Athos. It a Greek idiorrhythmic (hermitage-style) skete consisting of fifty one kalyvae and it is located at an altitude of 340 m in a rugged but fertile region close to the Athos cape, near Little St. Anne’s Skete about 800 meters from the New Skete.

St Anne’s Skete has the distinction of being the largest and oldest skete of Mt. Athos and was founded in the last decades of the 17th century in order to preserve the left foot of St Anne, the Mother of the Virgin Mary, brought to this region by monks in 1686.

The majority of the monks are occupied with fishing and gardening, wherease others practice iconography, wood carving, the production of incense and miniature art. The Kyriakon was built in 1754, frescoed the same time and it is dedicated to Saint Anne. The temple hosts the relics of several saintly martyrs of the Church.

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