1. Archives and Manuscripts of Mount Athos

Coordinator: Kriton Chryssochoidis
Team member: Zisis Melissakis (2003- )
External Research Associates: V. Dimitriadis, C. Pavlikianov, I. Kolovos, Ph. Kotzageorgis

The programme focuses on: i) Research and publications based on Archives and Collections of Manuscripts preserved in the monasteries of Mount Athos, ii) Digitization and launching of an accessible database of Athonite archives. iii) The participation in thematically related European and national programmes.

1.1. Publications: Athonika Symmeikta series

no . 8: A . Giannakopoulos , A ρχείο της I . M . Σταυρονικήτα. E πιτομές εγγράφων, 1533-1800 , Athens 2001 ( pp . 223)
n ο. 9: V . Anastasiadis , A ρχείο της I . M . X ιλανδαρίου. E πιτομές μεταβυζαντινών εγγράφων , A θήνα 2002 ( pp . 488)
no. 10 : Athos. La Sainte Montagne. Tradition et renouveau dans l'art (pp. 220)(in press, October 2005).

1.2. Research conducted and preparation of publications

1.2.1. Archives of the Monasteries:

• Archives of the Iviron Monastery. Summaries of the Documents, 1486-1800 (580 documents) (K. Chryssochoidis).
• Archives of the Esphigmenou Monastery. Summaries of the Documents, 1528-1800 (120 documents) (Z. Melissakis).
• The Athonite Monastery of Zographou from 980 to 1801. The Philological Evidence of its Greek and Slavic Archives (pp. 178) (C. Pavlikianov, University of Sofia): the publication is imminent.
• The Ottoman Documents of Simonopetra (pp. 380) (Prof. V. Dimitriadis): the publication is imminent.
• The compilation of summaries of the Ottoman documents of the monasteries of Xeropotamou (Dr. I. Kolovos) and Haghios Pavlos (Dr. Ph. Kotzageorgis) is progressing.

Αll studies will be published in the Department's series ''Athonika Symmeikta''

1.2.2. Catalogues of Manuscripts:

• Iviron Monastery, Catalogue of the Greek Manuscripts, Volume IV, Nos 328-400 : by Z. Melissakis
• Catalogue of the Greek Manuscripts of the Municipal Library of Tyrnavos (10 th-18 th century, 41 manuscripts) (Z. Melissakis).

A protocol of collaboration was signed between the programme and the Archives of the Republic of Albania. Objectives of the agreement: a. The compilation and publication by our team of a Checklist Catalogue of the Byzantine and Post-Byzantine manuscripts and documents preserved in the Central Archives of the State (Albania), b. The training and specialisation of young Albanian scholars in Greek palaeography and diplomatics (June 2004).

1.3. Digitisation, preparation of database
5.000 documents from the archives of Mount Athos and Patmos are being digitized and entered in an accessible database (Programme: ''Pandectes'')

1.4. Undertaking and execution of programmes
1.4.1. ''Searching for the Tzar's aid. Athos and Russia (16 th-17 th centuries)''. The programme focuses on the relations between Athos and Russia in the 16 th-17 th centuries, based on the evidence found in the archives of Athos and Moscow (in collaboration with the Institute of General History/Academy of Sciences of Russia, Dr. Vera Tchentsova).

1.4.2. European Programme (Culture 2000): "Rinascimento Virtuale. Digitale Palimpsestforschung" (in collaboration with other European universities and institutes). The programme focuses on the use of new technologies for the study and reading of Greek palimpsest manuscripts. The advanced technology of multi-spectrum photographing of palimpsest manuscripts ''MuSIS'' was developed by the Institute of Technology and Research (University of Crete).