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[[Image:Portaitissa.jpg|thumb|right|Panagia Portaitissa ([[Iviron Monastery(Athos)|Iviron Monastery]], [[Mount Athos|Athos]]) - original]]The [[icon]] '''Panagia Portaitissa''' (Gr. "She who resides by the door " or "Keeper of the Gategate") also known as '''Theotokos Iverskaya'', and more recently the ''Iveron Mother of God'', is a wonder-working icon of the [[Theotokos]] that was, according to traditions, painted by the [[Apostle]] and [[Evangelist]] [[Saint]] [[Apostle Luke|Luke]].

If This icon is considered to be the most famous and most revered miraculous icon icon of the [[Panagia Axion EstiTheotokos]] is on the official [[iconMount Athos|Holy Mountain]] of Mount <ref> The official icon for [[Mount Athos]], then this icon is the most popular[[Panagia Axion Estin]]</ref>. Is It is a pre-[[iconoclasm|iconoclastic ]] Byzantine icon, with dimensions of 1.37 x 0.94 m. The entire icon is encased by a an 1819 gold and silver shirt, made in Moscow, 1819 - that covers covering the entire body icon except for the faces. The most unique characteristic of the image is what appears to be a scar on the chin of the Virgin.

This is the most famous and most revered miraculus icon of the [[Theotokos]] on the Holy Mountain. In During the 9th century, during the reign of Theophilus the Eikonomachos (Iconoclast), it this icon was the personal property of a devout widow from Nicaea in Asia Minor, who kept it and honoured it in her private chapel. The Emperor's men who got to hear of this decided not to carry out immediately the order about [[iconsNicea]]<ref> This town in Asia Minor no longer exists, but to start by trying to blackmail in its rich owner. In the time which they gave her to collect it was the money they demanded, the widow took venue for two Ecumenical Councils; the [[icon]] and her dearly loved son andfirst, after fervent prayer, took it to the sea and left it on which composed the surface first eight articles of the wavesNicean Creed, so that it should not be defied by the iconoclasts. The [[icon]] stood upright on the water and began to head towards the westseventh, while which reinstituted the widow's sonveneration of icons after a lengthy struggle with the iconoclast heresy, following her advice, also fled towards which had erroneously equated the west veneration of icons to escape persecutionidol worship. Later he became a monk and died on the north-east coast of [[Athos]] near or </ref> in the Monastery of ClementAsia Minor, who kept it and so the anchorites round about heard from him the story of the honored it in her private [[iconchapel]].

One evening, when monks from Georgia (Iberians) had started to live at It was during the [[Monastery]] reign of Clement, an amazing phenomenon puzzled all the monks iconoclast Byzantine emperor Theophilus that soldiers came to the house of the area: a column widow. One of fire stood upright on the sea and reached to soldiers struck the heavens. This vision continued to be seen for several daysIcon with his sword, and then immediately blood began to flow from the monks saw the [[icon]] adrift in gashed cheek of the seaVirgin. They made their supplications to God that Shaken by this priceless treasure should be given to themmiracle, and the [[Theotokos]] appeared to soldier instantly repented, renounced the devout anchorite Gabriel the Iberian iconoclast heresy, and bade him to walk on entered a monastery. On his advice, the water to take widow concealed the [[icon]] and to give it Icon in order to the Abbot and brethren of the Monasteryavert its further desecration.

NeverthelessAfter praying for guidance before the Icon, after its reception and installation in the church, widow put the Holy Image into the [[sea. The icon]] repeatedly disappeared did not sink and was found above stood upright on the gate of water and began to drift towards the Monastery on west, while the inside. In a dreamwidow's son, the [[Theotokos|Blessed Virgin]] told St Gabriel that this was the place which she herself had chosenfollowing her advice, so that she could protect also fled towards the monks and not be protected by themwest to escape persecution. Thus the Later he became a [[iconmonk]] took and died on the name north-east coast of '''''“Portaitissa”''''', and until this very day its presence Mount Athos near or in the [[Monastery]] and on the of Clement (now [[Iviron Monastery (Athos)|Holy Mountain]] is regarded as a guarantee of the protection of Athonite [[monasticism]] by the [[TheotokosIviron Monastery]]). Later, a chapel was built near There he recounted the wall story of how his mother had set the [[Monastery]] in which Holy Icon upon the [[icon]] was placedwaves, while the old entrance was closed and another, grander, this story hes been handed down from one built. The [[miracles]] performed by the '''Portaitissa''' are without number, especially on [[August 15]] and on Monday generation of Diakainisimi Week, when there is a procession and the finding of the [[icon]] is commemorated with a [[liturgy]] in the [[chapel]] on the shore, at the exact spot where St Gabriel took it out of the seamonks to another.{{stub}}

==Many years later, the Icon made its appearance on the Holy Mountain. According to Athonite tradition, an amazing phenomenon puzzled all the monks of the Iveron area: a column of fire stood upright on the sea and reached to the heavens. At that time the holy monk Gabriel was one of the brotherhood in this monastery. The Mother of God appeared to him in a vision and directed him to convey to the abbot and brothers of the monastery that She wished them to have Her '''Kandila''' Icon as their help and salvation. She told Gabriel to approach the Icon on the waters without fear and take it with his hands. Obedient to the words of the Mother of God, says Athonite tradition, Gabriel "Oil Lampwalked upon the waters as though upon dry land," (took up the Icon and brought it back to the shore. The icon was then brought into the monastery and placed in front of the icon)=={{stub}}altar.

==Hymnography The [[miracle]]s performed by the Portaitissa are unnumbered, and are celebrated especially on [[August 15]] and on Monday of [[Bright Week]], when there is a procession and the finding of the icon is commemorated with a [[liturgy]] in the chapel on the shore, at the exact spot where St Nikodemos . Gabriel took it out of the Agiorite=={{stub}}sea.

<!---==Churches around the worldRecent History ==--->The traditional name for this icon has always been the "Portaitissa" but in more recent times the Icon has come to be known as the "Iveron" Mother of God, in connection with the name of the monastery, by the American and Russian communities.

==Monasteries around the world==* In 1648, news of this wonder-working Icon reached Russia through pilgrims who had visited Mt. Athos. The [[List of primates of Russia|Patriarch]] [[Nikon of Moscow|Nikon of Moscow]], while he was still [[Archimandrite]] of [[Iviron Novospassky Monastery (Athos)|]], commissioned an exact copy of the Ivironicon to be made and sent to Russia. Almost immediately upon its arrival on [[October 13]], (Mount Athosthe icon was glorified with numerous miracles attributed to it by the faithful. The [[Iverskaya Chapel]] was built in 1669 to enshrine the icon next to the Kremlin walls in Moscow. The chapel was the main entrance to Red Square and traditionally everyone, from the Tsar down to the lowest peasant would stop there tovenerate the icon before entering the square. After the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, Greece) - the location for chapel was destroyed by the Bolsheviks and the fate of the original iconis unknown to this day.

Another newer version of the famous Portaitissa is the [[Myrrh]]-streaming icon from Montreal in Canada. For fifteen years, between 1982 and 1997, myrrh continually flowed from this Icon. Brother [[José Muñoz-Cortes]] <ref> [http://www.yalchicago.org/Portaitissa_Miracle_Icon.html Brother Jose Muñoz Cortez], Guardian of the Hawaiian Myrrh-Streaming Icon of the Mother of God, was murdered in Athens by a young Romanian man who had asked Br. Jose for assistance in obtaining permission to travel to Canada.</ref> devoted himself to the care and protection of this icon, and accompanied it on numerous trips to parishes all over the United States and Canada, South America, Australia, and Europe.  In 2007, another copy of the Montreal Myrrh-Streaming Iveron Icon began streaming Myrrh at the Russian Orthodox Church in Hawaii. <ref>[http://www.orthodoxhawaii.org/icons.html The Myrrh-Streaming Icons of Hawaii]</ref>  Several [[feast day]]s during the [[liturgical year]] celebrate a few of these miracles. <!---==Her oil lamp====Her gold lemon tree'''====Hymnography of St. Nikodemos the Hagiorite====Churches==---> == Notes ==<small><references/></small> == Sources ==*[http://www.myriobiblos.gr/texts/english/chryssochoidis_portaitissa.html The Portaitissa icon at Iveron monastery] by Kriton Chryssochoidis, from Maria Vassilaki (ed.), ''Images of the Mother of God'', Ashgate, 2005 ([[Church of Greece]] Myriobiblos Library) ==External Sourceslinks =====Feast Days===*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=100512 Icon of the Mother of God "Iveron" (February 12)] Orthodox [[icon]] and [[synaxarion]]*[http://www.stjohndc.org/Russian/theotokos/e_0102b.htm The Iveron Icon in Mozdok (February 12)]*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=100962 Appearance of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God (March 31)]*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=102962 Translation of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God to Moscow (October 13)]*[http://www.stjohndc.org/Russian/theotokos/e_IveronOriginal.htm The Myrrh-streaming Icon of the Iveron Mother of God (November 11)]*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=205488 Arrival of the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God in Georgia (September 26)] ===Other sites===*[http://www.macedonian-heritage.gr/Athos/MonasteryImages/iveron/PAREKKLISI.htmlChapel of Panagia Portaitissa of the Monastery of Iveron]*[http://www.orthodoxhawaii.org/icons.html The Hawaiian Myrrh-Streaming Iveron Icon of the Theotokos]*[http://www.msu.edu/~rabbatjo/motherofgod.htm Images of the Theotokos in Byzantine Iconography]*[http://www.stjohnorinda.org/files/images/userimages/Icon%20Mother%20of%20God.pdf Icons of the Mother of God]