Mount Athos: General view of the Simopetra Monastery (above) and its arsenal (below)
| Department | Archive |
|---|---|
| Collection | BSA SPHS Image Collection |
| Reference No. | BSA SPHS 01/4742.9688 |
| Level | Item |
| Description | Film negative, approximately quarter plate size, an original negative. |
| Dimensions | 11 x 8 cm |
| Place |
Simopetra Monastery Arsenal of Simopetra Monastery Mount Athos |
| Dates | 1911 |
| Donor/Creator |
Hasluck, Dr Frederick William |
| Project | Hasluck in Mount Athos 1911 |
| Scope and Content | Part of a series of images taken by F.W. Hasluck during the course of his visit to Mount Athos in 1911. The original description in the SPHS register reads: "Athos: Simopetra, Arsenal & monastery from sea". |
| Notes | Date based on Hasluck's visit to Mount Athos to research his book, Mount Athos and its Monasteries (1924). Arsenals are port towers (arsanades) often associated with boat houses, located on the coast near the associated monastery. Other Collections: The image is duplicated in slide format in the Ashmolean Lantern Slide Teaching Collection, Oxford University, catalogue number XB93 as "Thrace: Athos, Simopatra Mon. from sea". |
| Further information | The Simopetra (or Simonos Petra) Monastery was built on top of a high, isolated and precipitous rock formation much like the monasteries at Meteora. Its arsenal lies on the coast below. The monastery was founded in 1363 by a hermit named Simon with the Serbian king as benefactor. The monastery has been frequently burnt and rebuilt - the last at the end of the 19th century when only the relics were saved. Its fortunes have risen and fallen, often falling into deep debt. During the Greek War of Independence, it was abandoned by the monks and garrisoned Turkish forces despoiled the place. When Hasluck visited in 1911, the majority of buildings dated to the late 19th and early 20th century reconstructions. Hasluck, F.W. 1924. Athos and its Monasteries, London: Kegan Paul (pp. 194-195) |
| Reference |
1912 JHS 32: 8th accession to 1904 slide catalogue. lxxix.SPHS 9688. Link to article 1913 JHS 33: Catalogue of Slides. 32.SPHS 9688. Link to article 1913 JHS 33: Catalogue of Slides. 74.SPHS 9688. Link to article Hasluck, F.W. 1924. Athos and its monasteries. facing 194, pl. 32(b). |