Axion Estin

Holy Church of Protato - Karyes

The miraculous icon of Mount Athos "Axion Estin" located in the sacred temple of Protato, received its name from a miraculous event that happened in the Pantokratoros cell of the Dormition of the Virgin in the year 982. This cell is located in a pit formed to the north of Karyes. There lived a venerable hieromonk with his loyal monk.

This priest went as usual one Saturday afternoon to the vigil, which was held in the holy Temple of the Protato church of the Karyes. The other loyal monk, who remained in the cell, was visited late at night by an unknown monk, who stayed the night there.

When they got up for the service of ῎Orthrus and read the "Timioteran", the unknown monk did not limit himself to the old hymn of Saint Cosmas, but sang it, after offering "It is truly right to bless thee, O Theotokos, the ever blessed, and most pure, and the Mother of our God.". To the surprised of the loyal monk, who asked to learn this new hymn, the visitor willingly accepted to respond.

And because paper and ink were not found in the cell, the monk brought a plate, on which the visitor wrote with his finger the hymn "Axion Estin...", as if he were carving letters in soft clay. Then he told the loyal monk to chant like this from now on, and he disappeared; it was the Archangel Gabriel.

The angel-engraved plate was shown to the Elders of the Karyes, who sent it to Constantinople with relevant letters to the Patriarch and the Emperor. The icon of the Virgin was transferred from the cell to Protato, where it was placed as a bishop on the Synthron of the holy step.

The cell, where the miracle took place, received the nickname "Axion Estin", while the pit, where it is located, is called the "Pit of Aden", that is, of the "Chanting", because it was there that the Theotokos hymn was chanted for the first time. And because, as it seems, this miracle happened on the eleventh of June, the Fathers held a meeting and Divine Liturgy in the Pit of Eden every year on this day.

In addition, every Monday of Diakainissimo this holy icon is lit in the area of Karyes, while on other holidays it is placed next to the northeast column of the Katholikon. Many times it was transferred for worship and sanctification of the faithful to Athens, Thessaloniki, as well as to Cyprus.

It is truly right

to bless thee, O Theotokos,

the ever blessed, and most pure,

and the Mother of our God.

More honorable than the cherubim,

and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim,

who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word,

the true Theotokos,

we magnify thee.