The Protaton (), also known as the

Dormition of the Theotokos The Dormition of the Mother of God is a Great Feast of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches (except the East Syriac churches). It celebrates the "falling asleep" (death) of Mary the '' Theotokos'' ("Mother ...

Church (), is the main church of Karyes, Mount Athos. It also serves as the ecclesiastical seat of the Protos, or the primate of the

monastic community of Mount Athos The monastic community of Mount Athos is an Eastern Orthodox community of monks around Mount Athos, Greece, who hold the status of an autonomous region with its own sovereignty within Greece and the European Union, as well as the combined rights ...

. It was founded in the early 10th century AD, prior to the completion of the

Great Lavra The Monastery of Great Lavra () is the first monastery built on Mount Athos, on the Athos peninsula in geographical Macedonia, northeastern Greece. It is located on the southeastern foot of the Mount at an elevation of . The founding of the ...

in 963. The Protaton is known for its various frescoes, paintings, relics, and icons, particularly the

Axion Estin ''Axion estin'' ( Greek: , Slavonic: Достóйно éсть, ''Dostóino yesť''), or It is Truly Meet, is a pair of hymns to the Virgin Mary used in the Divine Services of the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches, consisting o ...

icon. Many important manuscripts and historical documents, including the various historical

typikon A typikon (or ''typicon'', ''typica''; , "that of the prescribed form"; Church Slavonic: ') is a liturgical book which contains instructions about the order of the Byzantine Rite office and variable hymns of the Divine Liturgy. Historical de ...

s of Mount Athos are also kept in the Protaton.

Gallery

Majestas Domini of Protat.jpg Paintings of John the Baptist of Protat.jpg Unsleeping eye of Protat.jpg Saint Mercurius and Artemius of Antioch.JPG Saint Demetrius of Protat.JPG Presentation of Mary of Protat.jpg Photina of Protat.JPG Saint Eustace of Prorat.jpg Saints of Mount Athos Icon Protatos circa 1800.jpg Saints of Mount Athos Icon in Protatos Makarios from Galatista 1849.jpg Saints of Mount Athos Icon in Protatos Makarios from Galatista 1859.jpg First Nicea Council Icon from Protatos Church, 1770.jpg

References

Mount Athos 10th-century churches in Greece Eastern Orthodox church buildings in Greece 10th-century establishments in the Byzantine Empire {{greece-EO-church-stub