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This period of chaos continued when the effects of the Greek independence movement caused the occupation of Mt. Athos by the Turks. While the monastery continued to function, the high taxation by the Turks and looting resulted in the departure of all the monks by 1823. After the Turks departed in 1830, the monastery returned to a life of constant turmoil. This turmoil continued until the destructive fire of [[May 27]], 1891. Through the efforts of the abbot, Neophytos, and both with the cooperation and demands of the Russian Church Simonopetra was again restored and was flourishing by the turn of the century.
Under the leadership of Abbot Ieronymos, Simonopetra continued to flourish. But, after his retirement to the metochi of the Ascension in Athens in 1931, the Simonopetra monastery began another decline both intellectually and spiritually. By the time of his death in 1957, the decline of monasticism on Mt. Athos, as well as Simonopetra, was well advanced as depopulation of the monasteries continued. In 1973 a rebirth began at Simonopetra when a large group of monks under the leadership of Abbot [[Aimilianos (Vafeidis)|Aimilianos Vafeidis]] arrived from the Monastery of the Transfiguration at Meteora. Subsequently a number of metochia were established under the guidance of the monks of Simonopetra, including three in France. Again Simonopetra was faced with the destruction of monastery property by a fire that started on [[August 14]], 1990, on Mt. Athos that lasted 14 days. This again presented a challenge for the monks. ==Recordings==In recent years, the monastery has become world-renowned for its high-quality recordings of traditional [[Byzantine chant]] in Greek and has a growing discography:*''Hymns from the Psalter'' (1990)*''O Pure Virgin (Agni Partheni)'' (1990)*''Divine Liturgy'' (1999)*''Great Vespers'' (1999)*''Paraklesis'' (1999)*''Service of Saint Simon'' (1999)*''Sunday Matins (Orthros)'' (1999)*''Service of St. Silouan the Athonite'' (2004)
==Source==