The Icon of Saint George from Arabia at Zographou Monastery
Origins and Arrival at Athos
Hailing from the Arabian Peninsula, this is the second miraculous icon of Saint George at Zographou Monastery, stationed on the opposite column.
Initially arriving by sea, the icon moored at the Holy Monastery of Vatopedi, attracting monks from across the Holy Mountain to venerate it. Although the logical decision would have been to house the icon at Vatopedi, it was collectively decided to let the saint choose its place. Thus, placed on a mule's back, it finally halted at a hill northwest of Zographou Monastery, signifying Saint George's wish.
To commemorate this event, cells and a church dedicated to Saint George were built at the site. On his feast days, the icon is paraded from the main temple to the hill across.
Description of the Icon
A double-sided icon; Saint George graces its primary side while Archangel Michael on horseback adorns the other. Saint George is depicted head-on, resembling a youthful, clean-shaven warrior with curly dark hair. Dressed in military attire, he wields a spear in his right hand and a sword in the left. Surrounding his head, a red-lettered inscription, added later, reads: "Saint George the Miracle-Worker". The icon frame boasts a rich vegetative motif.
Covered by a silver overlay crafted in St. Petersburg in 1822, only the saint's head remains unveiled. The overlay has two Old Slavonic inscriptions.
Inscriptions on the Icon
The first narration tells of the icon's journey to the monastery, detailing its miraculous voyage from the Arabian Peninsula, its radiant appearance at Vatopedi's port, and the collective desire of the monks to host the relic. Yet, by divine intent and Saint George's will, it found its place at Zographou Monastery, drawing believers to venerate its ceaseless miracles.
The subsequent inscription commemorates the benefactors, lauding the efforts of Zographou Monastery's esteemed fathers Vikentiy and Anatoliy. Crafted with the contributions from merchants of Odessa and other Slav-Bulgarian and Macedonian dioceses, their names are eternally inscribed, alongside the monastery's founders, in the Book of Eternal Memory, dated 1822, St. Petersburg.