A book regarding the historic visit of the Patriarch has been published

Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University hosted the presentation of the book "Athos - The Patriarch's Spring".

"Athos - The Patriarch's Spring" depicts the 2004 visit of Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, to Mount Athos, during which he also visited the monasteries of Great Lavra and Xeropotamou. Ilia II was the first Georgian Patriarch to visit Mount Athos and pay homage to the Iveron Monastery and the Icon of the Mother of God of Iveron. The book, published as a photo album, combines the ambassador's personal memoirs of the historic visit with unique photographic material.

The author of the publication is Zviad Chumburidze, Secretary General of the EU-Georgia Business Council and Executive Director of the Georgian University Society, who served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to the Hellenic Republic from 2003 to 2007.

Mount Athos holds a place of special significance in the Christian Orthodox religion. The Georgian monastery of Iveron served as a center of Georgian science and culture from the 10th to the 16th century. It was this center that particularly brought Georgia closer to European values and culture. It is noteworthy that the Iveron Monastery houses a unique repository containing hundreds of rare manuscripts and other monuments of cultural heritage. The publication also features photographs depicting the chain mail of Tornike Eristavi and the handwritten Gospel of Ekvthime Mtatsmindeli (Euthymius the Athonite). These unique relics are part of the great national treasure preserved in the Iveron repository.

One of the main purposes of the book is to preserve for future generations information about this historic visit of the Patriarch to Mount Athos.