In this book, Z. Papantoniou, a painter and cartoonist, author (among other things, of the best Greek reader of all time), politician, and the first director of the National Gallery, but primarily an art critic, describes his impressions from this journey and simultaneously presents the Holy Mountain and Eastern monasticism with aesthetic criteria.

Precisely a century later, the description has historical value as it captures aspects of monastic life that are fading; ragged monks no longer exist, while technology penetrates and alters (or even alienates) the daily life of monks.

The first edition was published in 1934 by the author himself, with illustrations by Euth. Papadimitriou. The present edition is complete and faithful. Minor - mainly spelling - corrections have been made silently, while the few interventions are noted in the footnote provided at the end of the book; among them is the correction of the mysterious Mohilew in the passage of Jakob Fallmerayer.