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A Greek island forbidden to women, Aynoroz!

Ainoroz Peninsula. Land of Monks! Officially called the Autonomous Monk State of Ainoroz, it represents an autonomous state administration within the territory of Greece on an area of ​​390 km².. Women are not allowed to enter the peninsula.. Koine Greek, Romanian, Slavic, Russian, Serbian, Georgian and Bulgarian are spoken in the peninsula, which is centered in Karye.. The present leader of the peninsula, Patriarch of Istanbul 1. Bartholomew and the head of state are Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bokayyannis.

Greece in Southeast Europe The easternmost of the 3 narrow and long peninsulas stretching from the Halkidiki peninsula to the Aegean Sea.. The soil of the Aynoroz peninsula is calcareous and quite mountainous.. Its highest point is Aynoroz Hill, at an altitude of 2033, in the southernmost part of the island.. The majority of the population consists of priests and is about 2,250 people.. There are about 20 monasteries. The form of government is governed by 20 people representing 20 monasteries and a small assembly, and is subordinate to Greece.. The main source of income of the people is Mediterranean products such as olive and grape growing and livestock.. 10. Born as a religious community in the 19th century, Aynoroz, Byzantine, Ottoman and Greek managed to maintain its independence throughout their sovereignty.

The status of the Aynoroz peninsula is being discussed even in the European Union and European Parliament today.. Dutch female MP of the socialist group of the European Parliament J. The news that Svibel’s 135-item report on the situation of fundamental human rights in EU countries was accepted by 277 votes to 255, was not welcomed here at all.. Because it was stated in the report that the ban on women to set foot in Aynoroz violated the right of free movement of EU citizens and equality between men and women.
The reaction to the report was quite big.

Of course, the first mention was of the Orthodox clergy, who did not like Catholics and Protestants at all.. The Metropolitan of Kefalonia, Andreas, demanded that no woman attempt to go to Aynoros and said, “Our faith is at stake here.. “We have to oppose the European directive,” he said.. Theoclitos, Metropolitan of Ioannina City, who said that he would personally go to Aynoroz and prevent women from entering if necessary, declared that he would not allow Orthodox beliefs and traditions to be trampled underfoot.
Even before 1054, when the Eastern and Western churches separated their bowls, since 1045. The special status of Aynoroz, where women are not allowed to enter, was not intended to be overturned by a few hundred European deputies after it had been respected by the Ottoman Empire for so many centuries. The Greek government also made a statement for Aynoroz, where he was present, reminding that the decisions of the European Parliament are not binding.. Greece included the feature of Aynoroz in the EU membership agreement signed in 1980 and has since assured that the EU acquis will not be applied here.

A raid was carried out in the region, whose political rights were guaranteed, recently.
A crowded group of 500 men and 10 women, including Evangelia Amanatidu, a member of the left coalition party, Violated the borders of Aynoroz to protest the allocation of 82,000 acres of forest land on the Halkidiki Peninsula to the Vatopediu monastery. they violated the no-female zone. The police blockaded the place of the demonstration and prevented the women from advancing.. Female demonstrators crossed the police barricade and advanced a few meters through the forbidden zone.. Thus, the ban was breached.. Female demonstrators: “Monasteries do not respect state property. Why should we obey the Aynoroz ban?. The monks, on the other hand, made a statement after the protest, that no woman has entered their lands from history to the present; They said they would not dare to enter.

If you are a male, you can reach this region, which is open to tourism on a limited basis, via Thessaloniki.

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