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7 Breathtaking
Orthodox Monasteries
The Kobayr Monastery Armenia, 12th Century
The 12th century Armenian monastery was acquired by a noble Armenian dynasty at the service of Georgian royals and converted into a Chalcedonian monastery. The monastery stayed under the control of the Georgian Orthodox Church for some time-- thus, a unique mixture of Byzantine and Georgian iconography can be found alongside the original Armenian inscriptions.
Byzantine Monastery of Pantanassa, Mystras, Sparta, Peloponnese, Greece is a A UNESCO World Heritage Site. The walk to the monastery is reportedly quite a workout. However, the extreme beauty of its the frescos and icons makes it well worth the effort to get there.
Credit : Orthodoxy in the world
Jvari Monastery is a sixth century monastery near Mtskheta, eastern Georgia. On this site in the early 4th century Saint Nino converted King Mirian III of Iberia. The site is listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO.
The Sümela Greek Orthodox Monastery stands at the foot of a steep cliff facing the Altindere valley in modern-day Turkey. Founded in the year 386 AD on the site of the discovery of miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary in a cave on the mountain. Sümela Monastery fell into ruin many times and was each time restored by a Roman Emperor. It reached its present form in the 13th century.
The Monastery of Ostrog is a 17th centurty Serb Orthodox monastery placed against the vertical background of the rock of Ostroška Greda, Montenegro. It is dedicated to Saint Basil of Ostrog. The present-day look was given in 1923-1926, after a fire which had destroyed the major part of the complex. However two little cave-churches were spared. They are the key areas of the monument.
Saint Catherine’s Monastery, Mount Sinai-- the has been described as the oldest working monastery in the world. However, the Monastery of Saint Anthony, situated across the Red Sea in the desert south of Cairo, also lays claim to that title.
Credit : Byzantine Art
20 Monasteries of Mount Athos, a mountain and a peninsula in northern Greece, as well as an autonomous state under Greek sovereignty.1,400 male monks live, work and pray at Mount Athos.
Kiev Pechersk Lavra, also known as the Kiev Monastery of the Caves, is a historic Orthodox Christian monastery in Kiev, Ukraine. Since its foundation as the cave monastery in 1015 the Lavra has been a preeminent center of Orthodox Christianity in Eastern Europe.
and 20 more!
And here are 20 more, all on one Greek peninsula.
This is hardly an exhaustive list. Expect more monastery feature pages in the future!