Kalistasia
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Autonomous Monastic State of Kalistasia | |
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 Flag
 Shield
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| Official languages | Serbian, Greek |
| Government | autonomous theocratic society led by ecclesiastical council |
• Protos (Elder Monk) | Elder Artemije IV |
• Prince | Aleksandar II of Nikolia |
| Establishment | |
| TBA | |
| Area | |
• Total | 452 km2 (175 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2013 estimate | 3,456 |
| Time zone | (UTC) |
| Date format | dd/mm/yyyy |
| Driving side | right |
Sovereign monasteries
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| Monasic State of Kalistasia and its monasteries | |
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| Name as inscribed on the ARCHO Heritage List | |
| Location | Holy Island, Nikolia |
| Type | Mixed |
| ARCHO subregion | Mederano |
| Area | 111,691 ha |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 1995 |
Kalistasia (sr: Kalistazija, gr: Καλισταυια), officially the Autonomous Monastic State of Kalistasia (sr: Autonomna monaška država Kalistazija, gr: Αὐτόνομη Μοναστικὴ Πολιτεία Καλισταυια) is autonomous monastic polity within the Kingdom of Nikolia. It is situated on the Holy Island northwest from Nikolia and it is home to numerous of stauropegic Eastern Orthodox monasteries under the direct jurisdiction of the Ecumenal Patriarch. Kalistasia has been inhabited for more than 1,800 years and it is thought that christianity came into Nikolia through it.
The Holy Island, which is common name for Kalistasia, is inhabited by monks from Nikolia, Romberg, etc. They live an ascetic life, isolated from the rest of the world. The Kalistasian monasteries feature a rich collection of well-preserved artifacts, rare books, ancient documents, and artworks of immense historical value. Kalistasia has been listed in ARCHO's cultural heritage list since 1995.
Although part of the Nikolian Kingdom, access to Kalistasia is tightly regulated. There are strict set of rules regarding the entrance, most notably that no woman can set foot on the Holy Island.
Access
There is a set of rules and regulations pertaining to access to the Holy Island. The entrants must be males, 18 or older and, although a person entering the Holy Island doesn't have to be Christian, Christians generally have an advantage in the process. Potential visitors must send a request for an entry permit to the Patriarchy in Carigrad, where it will be revised. After the approval, the person must then send a request to enter Kalistasia to the Monastic Council in [insertcapitalcitynamehere]. The Council then examines the request, and searches for the entrant's name in the Book of the Cursed. By legend, a name of a person whose entrance is not allowed will show up in the book, so far many cases confirmed the legend, but so far it is left unconfirmed.
After the positive response from the Monastic Council, entrant must feast for 3 days prior to the arrival, regardless of his or hers religious beliefs. Upon arriving to the Holy Island, visitor is blessed by a monk, then proceeds to the monastery where he or she will be staying. Entry permits are timed, and visitors can stay up to 30 days.
There are several restrictions on what a visitor can bring to the Holy Island. Visitors may not bring any food that is of animal origin. Alcoholic beverages, cigarettes and drugs are not allowed as well. Although taking photographs and filming is allowed, some monasteries may forbid it.