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The '''Karakalou Monastery''' (Greek: Καρακάλλου) is situated on the southwest southeast side of the Athos Peninsula in northern Greece, between the monasteries of [[Great Lavra (Athos)|Great Lavra]] and [[Iviron Monastery (Athos)|Iviron]]. Karakalou is dedicated to the [[Apostle]]s Paul and Peter. It is ranked eleventh in the hierarchical order of the twenty monasteries located on the [[Mount Athos]] peninsula.

Founded in the eleventh century, the [[monastery]] received its name after either the Roman emperor Karakala or the [[monk]], Karakalas, who was said to be its founder. Karakalou was first mentioned in documents from 1018 and 1087. Built on the side of a mountain Karakalou appears now like a fortress overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, the consequence of having been destroyed twice. In the thirteenth century it was devastated by Latin and pirate raids during the period of occupation by Frankish forces after they had conquered Constantinople in 1204. Then, prior to its rebuilding in the sixteenth century, the monastery was destroyed again by pirates. The emperors Andronic II and John V Paleologos rebuilt Karakalou after the first destruction and after the second raid it was rebuilt by Peter, the ruler of Vlahia, Moldavia and his descendants. According to the rulers of Moldavia. Laterlocal athonite tradition, later on, Peter took [[monastic]] vows at Karakalou. In the seventeenth century, Karakalou was given ownership of the dependency of [[Nicholas of Myra|St. Nicholas]] in Ismaelia. Under Ottoman rule the monastery lost its estates to expropriation by the Turks. The monastery also played a role in the struggle by the Greeks for liberation of their homeland from Ottoman rule.

*[http://hellas.teipir.gr/prefectures/english/AgioOros/Karakalou.htm Karakalou Karakallou]*[http://en.iconskarakallou.gr/ Icons of the Holy Monastery of Karakallou – Official website]