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Perched on a cliffside above the Aegean Sea, the Monastery of Simonos Petra is home to one of Orthodoxy’s most diverse monastic communities.
Founded in the 13th century on Greece’s Mount Athos, the monastery houses monks from more than a dozen countries, including France, China, the United States, and Lebanon.
Also known as Simonopetra, or “Simon’s Rock,” the monastery is part of the autonomous, all-male monastic peninsula in northern Greece. While only Orthodox men can join the brotherhood, male visitors of other faiths are welcome.
Its abbot, Archimandrite Eliseos, says the monastery reflects a centuries-old ecumenical spirit rooted in Byzantine tradition, where shared faith transcends national borders.
