The Monastery of Simonos-Petra is one of the twenty large monasteries of Mount Athos.

It was founded in the 13th century by Saint Simon the Myroblite, in exceptional conditions. On the night of the nativity, guided by a luminous star, St Simon heard a voice telling him to build a monastery on the rock indicated by the star. St Simon was then transported in ecstasy to Bethlehem, before Christ. Returned to himself, St Simon immediately began the building of his monastery that he called: The New Bethlehem. The patron Saint's day is also always the 25th December. Later the monastery took the name of its founder: Simonos-Petra (the rock of Simon).

The monastery community currently has 40 monks of which the Abbot is the achimandrite Eliseos.

Monastery of Simonos-Petra