Arsanades-fishing houses

Approximately in the middle of the coastal architectural complex, the great arsanas of the Monastery dominates. It consists of two shiphouses (arsanades), the eastern and the western, the floor above them and the chapel of Agios Nikolaos, attached to the eastern side of the building. The western shiphouse is probably the oldest extra-monastic building of the Vatopedi Monastery. On its facade is a marble slab with a dedicatory inscription, which refers to the date 1486, /1495/1496 (7004) and the representation of the founder voivode Stefanos offering the building to the Virgin Mary holding the infant. The remaining parts of the great arsanas were built at the same time, probably in 1872, according to the date carved in the northeastern corner of the chapel. To the northeast is the zone of "private" fishing boats-fishing houses. These are two- or three-story buildings, which probably first appeared at the end of the 19th century due to the peculiar regime that prevailed at the time in the Monastery. On their ground floor, the boats are stored and maintained, on the first floor or in the attic, the fishing equipment, while on the second floor are the living quarters. In the past, each fishing boat had its own stone pier, which in some cases had a wooden extension for tying up the boats and spreading the nets. Later, the built piers were replaced by shorter wooden ones. Fish is a basic part of the monks' diet. For this reason, fishing has long been given great importance, resulting in the construction of piers on the waterfront and fishing houses.