Áthos - Monasteries

In recent years there has been a tendency to return to the stricter coenobitic system. At present 16 of the 20 monasteries are coenobitic - Esphigménou, Stavronikíta, Philotheoú, Karakalloú and the Great Lavra on the north-east coast, Koutloumousíou in the center of the peninsula and Zográphou, Konstamonítou, Dochiaríou, Xenophontos, Panteleímonos, Xeropotámou, Símonos Pétra, Grigoríou, Dionysíou and Pávlou on the southwest coast. The other four, all on the northeast coast, are idiorrhythmic - Chilandári, Vatopédi, Pantokrátoros and Ivíron. In addition to the 20 great monasteries there are several monastic villages, kellía occupied by "families" of three monks and, particularly on the steep south coast of the peninsula, small isolated