“Odigitria”

The Holy Mother of God “Odigitria” is one of the most ancient and revered by the Christian world images of the Most Holy Theotokos. It helps in difficult life situations, drives demons away from people and shows the right path in life. The first image of the icon was painted by St. Apostle and Evangelist Luke. The icon was brought from Jerusalem to Constantinople in the 5th century by Queen Eudokia, wife of the Byzantine Emperor Theodosius II. Especially for the sake of the icon, the emperor’s sister St. Pulcheria founded the main women’s monastery “Odigon”

From there, its name also comes, translated from Greek as “Odigitria” meaning Guide. The icon became the patroness of Constantinople and hundreds of thousands of pilgrims went to honor her and seek help. After the fall of Byzantium in 1453, the original was lost for centuries.

Xenophon Monastery

In the 18th century, “Odigitria” appeared on Mount Athos, first in the Vatopedi Monastery, and later she herself chose the Xenophon Monastery, to which she moved several times in a miraculous way.