Zygou Monastery

It is an old Athonite monastery that was founded in the early 10th century and was destroyed just before 1198. It is located approximately 2km east of Ouranoupoli, just outside the limits of Mount Athos. It seems to be one of the oldest monastic institutions on the Athonite peninsula and was discovered in 1984.

In the excavation site visitors will admire the castle, the towers and mainly the Catholicon of the monastery which is being excavated.

The monastery was abandoned in the late 12th century for unknown reasons and it was granted by a Golden Bull, together with its dependencies, to the reestablished Hilandariou monastery.

In around 1206, a Frank lord seems to have settled in the monastery. That is why the remains of the monastery were known and are often referred to –in maps also- as Fragokastro.