No Girls Allowed? Women Stumble On All-Male Mount Athos

CitizenSugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 08:00:56 -0700

Are there any ladies in the house? Accidently, yes. Breaching a ban on women dating back to 1060, four Moldovan women were dropped off on the Greek monastic peninsula of Mount Athos over the weekend.

The unexpected/unwelcomed female visitors told police they had sailed from Turkey after paying $6,300 to two Ukrainian people smugglers, and were unaware they were breaking Greek law.

The four women are aged between 27 and 32, (and were accompanied by one Moldovan man, 41) were discovered by the monks over the weekend. A responding police officer said, "They told police and the monks they were sorry but they couldn't have known this was a no-women area. They were forgiven."

It's a good thing the monks were feeling friendly! To find out why, read more.

Under Greek law, breaching the ban can lead to a jail sentence. How strict is the ban? No women at all - even many female domestic animals - have not been allowed on the mountain since a decree banning women was issued by Byzantine Emperor Constantine Monomachos in 1060. That's one serious sign on the club house! I don't know about you, but nothing makes me more curious about a place than being told I can't go. . . . Do you think this was an honest mistake? Or could they have been on a little exploration mission?

Source

TresSugar

No Girls Allowed? Women Stumble On All-Male Mount Athos