Great Lavra

Great Lavra
Μεγίστη Λαύρα
	External view of the monastery.
	Location within Mount Athos
Monastery information
Full name	Holy Monastery of Great Lavra
Order	Ecumenical Patriarchate
Dedicated to	Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin
Diocese	Mount Athos
People
Founder(s)	Athanasius the Athonite
Prior	Archimandrite Elder Prodromos
Site
Location	Mount Athos, Greece
Coordinates	40°10′16″N 24°22′58″E / 40.171111°N 24.382778°E
Public access	Men only

The Monastery of Great Lavra (Greek: Μονή Μεγίστης Λαύρας) is the first monastery built on Mount Athos, on the Athos peninsula in northeastern Greece. It is located on the southeastern foot of the Mount at an elevation of 160 metres (170 yd). The founding of the monastery in AD 963 by Athanasius the Athonite marks the beginning of the organized monastic life at Mount Athos. At the location of the monastery, there was one of the ancient cities of the Athos peninsula, perhaps Akrothooi, from which the sarcophagi of the monastery that are in the oil storage house come. The history of the monastery is the most complete compared to the history of the other monasteries, because its historical archives were preserved almost intact. It is possible that the study of these archives may contribute to the completion of the knowledge of the history of other monasteries, whose archives were partially or completely lost.