Dionysiou from the West
The cantilevered balconies project precariously from the cells in the outer enclosure wall of the monastery of Dionysiou facing the sea. Cells, as the monks’ living quarters, serve as important centers of solitude and individual piety. Monks spend much of their time in their cells, when not performing chores or participating in the ritual services spread through the liturgical day, beginning with vespers at sunset and ending with the ninth hour around 5pm. Monastic life requires solitary reflection that must coexist harmoniously with communal worship.