Monks at the monastery of Iviron preparing dinner the day before the Easter procession of the Holy Icon Ipanagia Portaitasa.
Mount Athos is a 45 km long peninsula in northern Greece that is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries. It has a degree of autonomy within the Greek state and is governed by the Holy community under the ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. A law, known as the 'Abaton', bans visits to the penninsula by any female and male visitors are restricted by permit.