In 1822, a
Turkish unit of soldiers arrived at the Vatopedi Monastery gates in order to
rob the Monastery of its riches and destroy as much as they could. One soldier,
who also happened to be the nephew of the officer leading the unit, dared to
fire a shot at the Icon of Panagia which is painted on the wall directly above
the entrance of the Holy Monastery. The shot hit the right hand of the
Theotokos, the bullet mark is still visible to this day.
Immediately after
he fired the shot, something came over him and he went insane. He hung himself
on an olive tree opposite the Monastery gates. The officer of the Turkish unit,
witnessing these events, was overcome with fear and concluded that what had
happened was due to his nephew’s sacrilege. He ordered his body to be thrown
away without a proper burial.
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