The New Athos Monastery stands in the town of New Athos in Abkhazia, a region claimed by Georgia and administered separately. It was founded in 1875 by monks from the Monastery of Saint Panteleimon on Mount Athos. It was looted during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877 and 1878 while still unfinished, and it was completed in 1900.
The five-domed Church of Saint Panteleimon has Neo-Byzantine features and is described as the largest cathedral in Abkhazia. The bell tower is 160 feet (50 meters) tall and has the monastic refectory in its lower part. The interior murals were painted from 1911 to 1914.
The monastery was closed from 1924 to 1994 during the Soviet persecution of religion. It was then returned to the Orthodox Church. Georgia lists it as a cultural monument of national significance.
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