New Athos
New Athos (Akhali Atoni) (the name derives from the name of the New Athos Monastery; former Psirtskha) is a town (from 1987) in Gudauta Municipality, (Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia), Colchian Plain.
It occupies the coastline of the Black Sea and the northern slopes of the Iveria Mountain. It is 50 m above sea level.
New Athos is a seaside climatic resort. It is protected from the cold air masses in the north by the Caucasus, the climate is humid, subtropical. The summer is moderately hot, the autumn is long and warm, and the winter is also warm. The average annual temperature is 14.8°C, 6.4°C in January, 23.8°C in August, precipitation is 1600 mm annually. Relative humidity — 70%, abundant solar radiation. Water temperature in July-August is 22–26°C. Until the 1990s, the sanatorium “Abkhazia” (cardiological profile) operated there; there were 4 tourist centers, a resort polyclinic, and a beach with healing properties.
There are many sights and interesting places, including the Georgian oak grove. There are karst caves, including the New Athos Cave.
A number of important monuments of the ancient culture (archeological material of the Neolithic, Bronze, Antiquity) have been found in New Athos; The whole system of fortifications of this area (in historical documents — Anakopia) — with citadel towers (on the Iveria Mountain) has been preserved since the 1st century. There is a basilica (8th–9th centuries) in the middle of the citadel. Among other buildings, the Saint Simon the Canaanite Church (9th–10th centuries, repaired in the 19th century) is worth noting. There is also the monastery complex of Simon the Canaanite in New Athos.
New Athos is currently in the occupied territory.
G. Ushveridze
T. Beradze
T. Sakvarelidze
