The Holy Monastery of Hilandar, Mount Athos

Hilandar Monastery is a Serbian Orthodox monastery on Mount Athos in Greece. It was founded in 1198 by the first Serbian Archbishop Saint Sava and his father, Serbian Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja, who later became a monk there. It was the center of Serbian religious and secular culture, and "the first Serbian university". The Mother of God through her Icon of Three Hands (Trojeručica), is considered the abbess.

The etymological meaning of the name "Hilandar" is possibly derived from chelandion, a type of Byzantine transport ship, whose skipper was called a "helandaris".

The present katholikon of Hilandar (Chilandari or Chelandari) monastery, dedicated to the Presentation of the Virgin, was built in 1293, frescoed in 1319-1320 and contains the tomb of the founder St Simeon. It resembles a lot, even if it is smaller, of Vatopaidi's katholikon because the Serbian prince Stephan Nemanja and his son had both taken the habit at Vatopaedi as Simeon and Savvas.

The katholikon of Hilandari. The serbian influences as well as big narthex are quite evident.

On March 4, 2004, a major fire sweeps through the monastery that destroyed about half the structures in the monastery. The medieval heirlooms and relics that made up the treasures of the monastery were moved to safety, but major damage was done to the abbot's cell and guest rooms as well as four chapels with the seventeenth and eighteenth century frescoes. Restoration of the damage is on going.

The tomb of St. Symeon Nemanja in the right corner of the Katholikon

Another view of tomb of St. Symeon Nemanja with the icon of the saint.