The Holy Monastery of Xenophon on Mount Athos has two katholika. The older one dates from the 10^th century, while the more recent, where services are held daily for the brotherhood and pilgrims, was built in the 19^th century.

Constructed in the same style as all the other katholika on the Athos peninsula, it is a composite cross-in-square church with choirs, a large inner narthex (lite) supported on columns, and an outer narthex.

As inscriptions on its exterior walls reveal, work on its construction began in 1819, shortly before the Greek War of Independence, as the culmination of the flourishing spiritual life and development of the monastery after 1784, when it became a cenobitic community under Abbot Paisios the Cenobiarch, from the island of Lesbos.

The Metropolitan Philotheos, who was then living at the monastery, also contributed significantly to realisation of the undertaking.

In 1821, work was interrupted due to unfavourable political conditions, before the domes could be completed. It resumed in 1833, with the finished domes being clad in lead and slate tiles in 1838 and 1839.

The new Katholikon of Agios Georgios at the Holy Monastery of Xenophon, both because of its quality and size (it is the largest on Mount Athos), but also due to the history of its construction, has many features of interest in the study of post-Byzantine Athonite architecture.

From the Holy Monastery of Xenophon

21.6.2019

The issue consists of one stamp 35 X45 mm in sheets of 25 and one Feuillet of 85 Χ 70 mm, which includes on stamp of 35 X45 mm.

DIMENSIONS                : 35 X 45 mm in sheets of 25

DESIGN - ADAPTATION  : Theano Venieri

PRINTING METHOD       : Multicolored (OFFSET)

PRINTERS                    : «VERIDOS MATSOUKIS S.A. SECURITY PRINTING»

CIRCULATION-SALES    : This set circulates on October 20, 2019, and will be available at the Hellenic post offices through October 19, 2020, unless previously sold out. Complete sets will be available at the local Hellenic Post Offices and at the Central Philatelic Office until their withdrawal, unless previously sold out.

Also available:

FIRST DAY COVERS (4.000 pieces)

They have a design related to the subject of the Series. Available at a charge of 3,69 € per piece.

FIRST DAY COVERS- FEUILLET (4.000 pieces)

They have a design related to the subject of the Series. Available at a charge of 4,00 € per piece.

SET ALBUMS (500 numbered pieces)

Available at a charge of 17,00 € per piece.

All philatelic products will be available at the Central Philatelic Office (5 Lykourgou str. & Apellou, 100 38 Athens), and at the Post Offices until sold out, except the F.D.C. and the F.D.C. - FEUILLET, which will be withdrawn on October 19, 2020.

Collectors will be able to have items franked at the Central Philatelic Office with the special First Day commemorative postmark, providing they have affixed to them stamps from the set responding to the first rate domestic mail, today 0,72 €.