Athos Mount and Monasteries

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Capital: Karyes Population: 2,262 (2001)
4th cent. First monasteries founded.
883 Athos receives first imperial privileges from Basil I.
972 Byzantine Emperor Ioannis I Tsimiskis grants autonomy
to Mount Athos.
c.1144 Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komninos officially bestows
to Athos the title of Ayion Oros ("Holy Mountain"), later
styled "Ayionimon Oros of Athos".
1204 - 1222 Autonomy within the Latin Kingdom of Thessalonica.
17 Jan 1213 Pope Innocent III confirms rights and privileges of Athos.
1222 Autonomy within Byzantine Empire.
1307 - 1309 Raided by Catalan mercenaries.
1345 - 1371 Part of Serbian Empire.
1383 - 1403 Ottoman occupation.
1424 The Monks formally recognize Ottoman suzerainty.
Mar 1430 Autonomy within the Ottoman Empire.
15 Nov 1912 Autonomy within Greece (Autonomous Monastic State of Ayion Oros,
also styled Athonian Republic).
30 May 1913 Ottoman Empire formally renounces suzerainty.
Apr 1941 - Oct 1944 Autonomy continued under German occupation.
Spiritual leaders¹
972 - the Ecumenical Patriarchs of Constantinople
Governors (from 1912, Prefects)
1383 - ....
Chairmen of the Holy Administration (Protepistates)
15 Nov 1912 - ....
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¹A committee of monks from each of the 20 monasteries is responsible for day to day administration and the Greek government appoints a governor.