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| # New Athos
**New Athos** (Georgian: ახალი ათონი, *Akhali Atoni*; Abkhaz: Афон Ҿыц, *Afon Ch'yts*; Russian: Новый Афон, *Novy Afon*; Greek: Νέος Άθως, *Neos Athos*) is a town in the [Gudauta Municipality](/Gudauta_Municipality) of [Abkhazia](/Abkhazia), a partially recognized independent country. Situated approximately 22 km (14 mi) from [Sokhumi](/Sokhumi) by the shores of the [Black Sea](/Black_Sea), New Athos is a site of historical, religious, and natural significance. The town was previously known under various names, including Nikopol, Acheisos, Anakopia, Nikopia, Nikofia, Nikopsis, Absara, and Psyrtskha.
## History
The history of New Athos is deeply intertwined with the broader historical narrative of the [Caucasus](/Caucasus) region. The [Anakopia Fortress](/Anakopia_Fortress), located at the edge of the town, has been a focal point of archaeological interest. Excavations have revealed that the fortress functioned from the 5th to the 12th centuries CE, though some archaeologists date its construction to the 7th century. Anakopia is associated with the fortress of Tracheia mentioned by the historian [Prokopius](/Prokopius).
Anakopia served as the capital of the Abkhazian princedom within the orbit of the [Byzantine Empire](/Byzantine_Empire) and later of the [Abkhazian Kingdom](/Abkhazian_Kingdom) after the archon [Leon II](/Leon_II_of_Abkhazia) declared himself king in the late 8th century. The capital was subsequently moved to [Kutaisi](/Kutaisi).
In 1033, Anakopia was ceded to the Byzantine Empire by Demetre of Anakopia but was retaken by Georgians in 1072, along with other territories gained as a result of the Empire's defeat at the [Battle of Manzikert](/Battle_of_Manzikert) at the hands of the [Seljuks](/Seljuks).
According to tradition, [Simon the Zealot](/Simon_the_Zealot) died in Abkhazia after coming there on a missionary trip and was buried in Nicopsis. His remains were transferred to Anakopia in the 14th–15th centuries.
## Geography
New Athos is strategically located between the [Black Sea](/Black_Sea) and the [Iverian Mountain](/Iverian_Mountain). It is 17 km from [Gudauta](/Gudauta), 22 km from [Sukhumi](/Sukhumi), and 84 km from the Russian borders at [Vesyoloye](/Vesyoloye,_Krasnodar_Krai), a village near the city of [Sochi](/Sochi).
## Administration
The town has seen several administrative changes over the years. Vitali Smyr was reappointed as Mayor on 10 May 2001 following the March 2001 local elections. On 8 May 2003, Smyr was appointed Minister for Agriculture and released as Mayor of New Athos. On 19 May, Feliks Dautia was appointed his successor.
### List of Mayors
| # | Name | Entered Office | Left Office | President | Comments |
|---|------|----------------|-------------|-----------|----------|
| 1 | Vitali Smyr | 1995 | 8 May 2003 | Vladislav Ardzinba | |
| 2 | Feliks Dautia | 19 May 2003 | 12 February 2005 | | |
| 3 | Feliks Dautia | 12 February 2005 | 29 May 2011 | Sergei Bagapsh | |
| 4 | Feliks Dautia | 29 May 2011 | Present | Alexander Ankvab | |
## Main Sights
### Monastery
The [New Athos Monastery](/New_Athos_Monastery) is a significant religious site. In 1874, Russian monks from the overcrowded [Rossikon](/Rossikon) Monastery on [Mount Athos](/Mount_Athos) arrived in the Caucasus to find a place for possible resettlement. They feared that the [Ottoman Empire](/Ottoman_Empire) would oust the Russians from Athos after the outbreak of the impending [Russo-Turkish War](/Russo-Turkish_War,_1877%E2%80%931878). They selected Psyrtskha, and the Neo-Byzantine New Athos Monastery, dedicated to [St. Simon the Canaanite](/St._Simon_the_Canaanite), was constructed there in the 1880s with funds provided by Tsar [Alexander III of Russia](/Alexander_III_of_Russia). Eventually, Russian monks were permitted to stay in the "old" Athos, and the New Athos monastery had much less occupancy than anticipated.
In 1924, during the Soviet persecution of religion, the monastery was closed. It was later used as a storage facility, tourist base, hospital, and museum. Its return to the Orthodox Church began in 1994, after the end of the [war in Abkhazia](/War_in_Abkhazia_(1992%E2%80%931993)).
The scenic setting of the New Athos monastery by the sea has made it a popular destination with Russian tourists visiting Abkhazia. An [older church of St. Simon the Canaanite](/Church_of_St._Simon_the_Canaanite,_New_Athos), dated to the 9th-10th century and reconstructed in the 1880s, is located near the town, on the Psyrtskha stream.
### Hydroelectric Power Station
New Athos has a small hydroelectric power station and artificial lake on the Psyrtskha river, close to the old Church of St. Simon the Canaanite. The station was built by the monks of the monastery between 1892 and 1903 and repaired in 1922. It remained broken for over forty years before being repaired again—it was re-opened on 4 June 2012. It produces an estimated 100 kW "per hour [sic]" for the monastery, which still owns it.
### Cave
The [New Athos Cave](/New_Athos_Cave) is a [karst](/Karst) cave in the Iverian Mountain, a few kilometers from the town. Since 1975, it has been served by the [New Athos Cave Railway](/New_Athos_Cave_Railway).
## Twin Towns – Sister Cities
New Athos is twinned with:
- [Sergiyev Posad](/Sergiyev_Posad), Russia
- [Sarov](/Sarov), Russia
- [Ryazan](/Ryazan), Russia
## See Also
- [Mount Athos](/Mount_Athos)
## Notes
1. The political status of Abkhazia is disputed. Having unilaterally declared independence from [Georgia](/Georgia_(country)) in 1992, Abkhazia is formally recognized as an independent state by 5 UN member states (two other states previously recognized it but then withdrew their recognition), while the remainder of the international community recognizes it as de jure Georgian territory. Georgia continues to claim the area as its own territory, designating it as Russian-occupied territory.
|