The monks themselves are up in arms and insist that the ban is exceptionally well-grounded legally on Mount Athos' right to self-governance, as well as on the fundamental rights of religious freedom and the protection of property.
Any state intervention would constitute an outright violation of Mount Athos' individual right to choose their manner of worship as well as the monks' rights to allow access to their private property, said a statement issued by the Mount Athos Council.
The Greek government, a firm supporter of the all-male monastic community, maintains that the ban on women's access was incorporated into Greece's EU Accession Treaty in 1981, which outlines the special status of Mount Athos in the European Union.
"From both a legal and spiritual point of view, we should respect states of affairs that have been consolidated over the centuries," said government spokesman Christos Protoppapas.
The monks have also called on the government to take steps to secure the special status of Mount Athos in the European Union so that it can no longer be subjected to such unfair accusations.
"On religious, cultural, ecclesiastical and national grounds, we must safeguard the tradition of 1,000 years as we received it from our fathers," the monks said in a statement.
Mount Athos lies within the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Istanbul, which has been a staunch supporter of civil rights even if they undermine the traditions and principles of the monastic community.
But some members of the Patriarchate believe the monks are too stubborn to ever change.
"In theory, women should be allowed to visit Mount Athos but they [the monks] will never allow it in a million years," said one priest.
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