I read that until the 18th century, the open part of the courtyard, which is lower, had been divided by a wall from the higher part, which serves as a path along three sides of the church. During the period when renovations were being made, the area housed the workers, artisans and others, while the monks lived on the other side. We are informed of this by the well-known Russian monk and traveler Vasilis Barasky, who described and sketched the Monastery in 1744. However, the signal says it is now time for vespers.
