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This monastery -- Snagov Monastery -- is located about 25 miles north of Bucharest in Ilfov County. (It's close enough that I'm including it as a Bucharest album.)
So what's the deal with Snagov Monastery? Honestly, I don't know. It seems there's no consensus on much of anything here, other than that the monastery exists. Nobody is sure when it was built, exactly, and that may have part to do with the reason it was built...if you choose to believe that, too.
This is (or not?) Vlad Tepes's final resting place. (For sake of argument, I'll say it is, though...who knows?) Vlad's English sobriquet is Vlad the Impaler (Tepes in Romanian), and he was...rather cruel. By the time of his death, he had many enemies, and it seems he was beheaded as his form of demise. This monastery was possibly built Vlad himself (at his orders, that is), or at the request of his grandfather.
Vlad's "tomb" in the middle of the church floor. Well...as he had a lot of enemies, one thought is that his burial spot was hidden. Some say he was -- and still is -- buried here, but deep under the floor, and animal bones were buried above him to throw off anyone who found the location. Well...the place was excavated, animal bones were found, and (I guess?) they didn't dig deeper. Short answer...nobody knows and it serves tourism's interests not to confirm. I'll leave it at that.
As for the aesthetics of the monastery, it's a standard Greek Orthodox church on the inside. That means...lots of paintings covering 100% of the wall. (This small monastery, though, is not a great example of Romanian churches; the churches up in Transylvania at Maramures are all much better representations. The painted monasteries there are all UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Having said all of that, if you're in Bucharest, this is worth seeing just for the fun of it. Day trips are cheap and easy.
Cozia Monastery - Romania
Cozia Monastery, erected close to Călimănești by Mircea cel Bătrân in 1388 and housing his tomb, is one of the most valuable monuments of national medieval art and architecture in Romania.
Cozia features a museum of exhibiting old art: old manuscripts and prints, embroideries and objects of worship.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cozia_Monastery
Interesting te read:
www.romanianmonasteries.org/other-monasteries/cozia-monas...
The Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland, is a famous Polish shrine to the Virgin Mary and one of the country's places of pilgrimage for many the monastery is a spiritual capital. The image of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, also known as Our Lady of Częstochowa, to which miraculous powers are attributed, is one of Jasna Góra's most precious treasures.
Jasna Góra Monastery was founded in 1382 by Pauline monks who came from Hungary at the invitation of Władysław, Duke of Opole. The monastery has been a pilgrimage destination for hundreds of years, and it contains an important icon of the Virgin Mary. The icon, depicting the Mother of God with the Christ Child, is known as the Black Madonna of Częstochowa or Our Lady of Częstochowa, which is widely venerated and credited with many miracles.[3] Among these, it is credited with miraculously saving the Jasna Góra monastery during a siege that took place at the time of The Deluge, a 17th-century Swedish invasion. The event stimulated the Polish resistance. The Poles could not immediately change the course of the war, but, after an alliance with the Crimean Khanate, they repulsed the Swedes. Shortly thereafter, in the cathedral of Lviv, on April 1, 1656, Jan Kazimierz, the King of Poland, solemnly pronounced his vow to consecrate the country to the protection of the Mother of God and proclaimed Her the Patron and Queen of the lands in his kingdom.
Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have both prayed in this Chapel.
Paul VI wanted to use his visit at Jasna Góra to offer to the custodians of the image of Our Lady of Częstochowa the gold rose, the highest distinction to be granted by the pope. His absence prevented this and the golden rose was donated only by John Paul II during his first pilgrimage to Poland. The other rose for Our Lady of Częstochowa was offered by Benedict XVI in 2006
The 6th World Youth Day was hosted in Poland in the city of Czestochowa. The theme for WYD1991 was taken from St. Paul's letter to Romans: "You received the Spirit of adoption, enabling us to cry out 'Abba, Father!'" (Rom 8, 15).
Pope Francis will pray here on
on 28 July during WYD
© Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk
This monastery was built in the 17th century, and is home to monks who sell wine and olive oil, presumably to generate money for the church. The olive oil they sell here is pretty famous, so these guys know what they are doing.
Lhatse - Sakya - Shigatse - Tibetan Plateau - Tibet Autonomous Region - China
Narthang Monastery - Sakya Monastery
Narthang Monastery is a monastery located 15 km west of Shigatse in Tibet. Founded in 1153 by one of the disciples of Atisha, Nathang was the fourth great monastery of Tsang with Shalu Monastery, Sakya and Tashilhunpo. Narthang was first famous for its scriptual teaching and monastic discipline. After the fourteenth century it gained great eminence as the oldest of Tibet's three great printing centres (the other being the Potala and the Derge).
The Fifth Panchen Lama took control of the monastery and it continued printing the Buddhist scriptures the Kangyur and the Tengyur up until 1959. Narrthang's five main buildings and large chanting hall were razed to the ground by the Chinese in 1966. They had contained priceless 14th century murals possibly painted by the artist scholars of nearby Shalu Monastery. Today only the mud-brick foundations can be discerned although parts of the Mongolian styled high-fortress walls are still standing.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narthang_Monastery
Shigatse, officially known as Xigazê, is a prefecture-level city of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, It is located within the historical Tsang province of Tibet.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shigatse
With jeep on the road.
The Tibetan Plateau, also known in China as the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau or the Qingzang Plateau or Himalayan Plateau, is a vast elevated plateau in Central Asia or East Asia, covering most of the Tibet Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province in western China, as well as part of Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir state of India. It stretches approximately 1,000 kilometres north to south and 2,500 kilometres east to west. With an average elevation exceeding 4,500 metres , the Tibetan Plateau is sometimes called "the Roof of the World" and is the world's highest and largest plateau, with an area of 2,500,000 square kilometres (about five times the size of Metropolitan France). Sometimes termed the "Third Pole", the Tibetan Plateau is the headwaters of the drainage basins of most of the streams in surrounding regions. Its tens of thousands of glaciers and other geographical and ecological features serve as a "water tower" storing water and maintaining flow. The impact of global warming on the Tibetan Plateau is of intense scientific interest.
Calaraseuca Monastery - Moldova
Decorations in the Chapel
insideCalaraseuca Monastery is a monastery in the north of Moldova, located on the right a river Nistru. It was founded in the eighteenth century. In 1780 the old church could no longer be used, and Hagi Marcu Donici of Movilau, on the left a river Nistru, built a church and a steeple, which was sanctified in 1782 dedicated to the Assumption Holy Mother of God. In 1853 starts the construction of two churches dedicated to St. Mitrofan of Voronejului.
In 1916 the monks go to other monasteries, and nuns are brought Calaraseuca Virov refugees in the monastery, from Poland (located at the time of the Austro-German occupation). In 1961 the communist authorities Calaraseuca monastery transformed into a hospital for mentally disabled children. The church winter was transformed in a club and summer in the hospital warehouse. On 3 May 1991, nuns from the monastery was reopened Calaraseuca.
The monastery has a rich religious and cultural past spanning more than two centuries. It was founded in 1773-1775 and became one of the richest, most beautiful, and largest monasteries in Moldova.
Several churches were build on the monastery’s premises: St. Demetrius, a wooden church built in 1775 by Ioan Curchi; Naşterea Domnului, a stone church built in 1810; the winter church of St. Demetrius built in 1844; the summer church Naşterea Domnului built in 1872; and the winter church of St. Nicholas (unfinished), built in 1936-1939.
Monastery's main church, the cathedral Naşterea Domnului (1872), was built in baroque style, inspired by the church of St. Andrew in Kiev, which was designed by Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli. The cathedral has the highest dome in Moldova, rising to a height of 57 meters. (moldovaholiday.travel)
The "Margarites Monastery" most commonly refers to the Christ Savior and Saint Gedeon Monastery in the village of Margarites, Crete. It was built in the late 15th and early 16th century, originally as a nunnery, and is known for its association with Saint Gedeon. It is located approximately 30 km south of Rethymno and is often visited as part of tours that may also include the nearby village of Margarites, famous for its pottery.
Interior view of the Byzantine Greek Monastery of the Theotokos of the Life-Giving Spring, Western Sierra foothills. The arches & ceiling have since been frescoed.
The icons are by Michailis Vasilakis. The one in the center left of the Ikonostasion is the Life-Giving Spring & also shown in the Set called Icons.
We were high in the mountains at this monastery and the clouds kept blowing in and out around us. Really very mystical.
At over 3000 meters above sea level, Dochula pass grants one a view of Bhutan in all directions. At one of the viewing points, 108 stupas (chortens) were constructed as a memorial built by the queen, Her Majesty Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk, to honor the victory of the Bhutanese army in the 2003 war of Southern Bhutan. Each one contains effigies of Buddha and religious texts. On a slope nearby, there is a large collection of colorful prayer flags and poles.
On a clear day, the snow capped mountains of the Himalayas can be seen. However, the weather was too foggy to see the mountains the day we went through the pass
The Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland, is a famous Polish shrine to the Virgin Mary and one of the country's places of pilgrimage for many the monastery is a spiritual capital. The image of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, also known as Our Lady of Częstochowa, to which miraculous powers are attributed, is one of Jasna Góra's most precious treasures.
Jasna Góra Monastery was founded in 1382 by Pauline monks who came from Hungary at the invitation of Władysław, Duke of Opole. The monastery has been a pilgrimage destination for hundreds of years, and it contains an important icon of the Virgin Mary. The icon, depicting the Mother of God with the Christ Child, is known as the Black Madonna of Częstochowa or Our Lady of Częstochowa, which is widely venerated and credited with many miracles.[3] Among these, it is credited with miraculously saving the Jasna Góra monastery during a siege that took place at the time of The Deluge, a 17th-century Swedish invasion. The event stimulated the Polish resistance. The Poles could not immediately change the course of the war, but, after an alliance with the Crimean Khanate, they repulsed the Swedes. Shortly thereafter, in the cathedral of Lviv, on April 1, 1656, Jan Kazimierz, the King of Poland, solemnly pronounced his vow to consecrate the country to the protection of the Mother of God and proclaimed Her the Patron and Queen of the lands in his kingdom.
Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have both prayed in this Chapel.
Paul VI wanted to use his visit at Jasna Góra to offer to the custodians of the image of Our Lady of Częstochowa the gold rose, the highest distinction to be granted by the pope. His absence prevented this and the golden rose was donated only by John Paul II during his first pilgrimage to Poland. The other rose for Our Lady of Częstochowa was offered by Benedict XVI in 2006
The 6th World Youth Day was hosted in Poland in the city of Czestochowa. The theme for WYD1991 was taken from St. Paul's letter to Romans: "You received the Spirit of adoption, enabling us to cry out 'Abba, Father!'" (Rom 8, 15).
Pope Francis will pray here on
on 28 July during WYD
© Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk
Cozia Monastery - Romania
Cozia Monastery, erected close to Călimănești by Mircea cel Bătrân in 1388 and housing his tomb, is one of the most valuable monuments of national medieval art and architecture in Romania.
Cozia features a museum of exhibiting old art: old manuscripts and prints, embroideries and objects of worship.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cozia_Monastery
Interesting te read:
www.romanianmonasteries.org/other-monasteries/cozia-monas...
clicked by Krisnendu Sar, June 2007. One of the most beautiful monasteries of Ladakh, it belongs to the Gelukpa Order of Buddhism. Sherab Zangpo of Stod got the Thiksey Monastery built for the first time, at Stakmo. However, later Spon Paldan Sherab, the nephew of Sherab Zangpo, reconstructed the monastery in the year 1430 AD. The new monastery was sited on a hilltop, to the north of Indus River. It serves as the residence of approximately eighty monks.
source: www.buddhist-temples.com/buddhist-monastery/ladakh/thikse...
Lhatse - Sakya - Shigatse - Tibetan Plateau - Tibet Autonomous Region - China
Narthang Monastery - Sakya Monastery
Narthang Monastery is a monastery located 15 km west of Shigatse in Tibet. Founded in 1153 by one of the disciples of Atisha, Nathang was the fourth great monastery of Tsang with Shalu Monastery, Sakya and Tashilhunpo. Narthang was first famous for its scriptual teaching and monastic discipline. After the fourteenth century it gained great eminence as the oldest of Tibet's three great printing centres (the other being the Potala and the Derge).
The Fifth Panchen Lama took control of the monastery and it continued printing the Buddhist scriptures the Kangyur and the Tengyur up until 1959. Narrthang's five main buildings and large chanting hall were razed to the ground by the Chinese in 1966. They had contained priceless 14th century murals possibly painted by the artist scholars of nearby Shalu Monastery. Today only the mud-brick foundations can be discerned although parts of the Mongolian styled high-fortress walls are still standing.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narthang_Monastery
Shigatse, officially known as Xigazê, is a prefecture-level city of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, It is located within the historical Tsang province of Tibet.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shigatse
With jeep on the road.
The Tibetan Plateau, also known in China as the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau or the Qingzang Plateau or Himalayan Plateau, is a vast elevated plateau in Central Asia or East Asia, covering most of the Tibet Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province in western China, as well as part of Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir state of India. It stretches approximately 1,000 kilometres north to south and 2,500 kilometres east to west. With an average elevation exceeding 4,500 metres , the Tibetan Plateau is sometimes called "the Roof of the World" and is the world's highest and largest plateau, with an area of 2,500,000 square kilometres (about five times the size of Metropolitan France). Sometimes termed the "Third Pole", the Tibetan Plateau is the headwaters of the drainage basins of most of the streams in surrounding regions. Its tens of thousands of glaciers and other geographical and ecological features serve as a "water tower" storing water and maintaining flow. The impact of global warming on the Tibetan Plateau is of intense scientific interest.
The monastery of Geghard (Armenian: Գեղարդ, meaning spear) is a unique architectural construction in the Kotayk province of Armenia, being partially carved out of the adjacent mountain, surrounded by cliffs. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
While the main chapel was built in 1215, the monastery complex was founded in the 4th century by Gregory the Illuminator at the site of a sacred spring inside a cave.
For more information:
The Shaolin Monastery or Shaolin Temple is a Buddhist temple at Song Shan near Zhengzhou City Henan Province in Dengfeng, China. It is led by abbot Venerable abbot Shi Yǒngxìn. Founded in the 5th century, the monastery is long famous for its association with Chinese martial arts and particularly with Shaolin Kung Fu,
Disused as such, but still a nice building. If memory and some recent internet searching are not both mistaken, it's now Meissen Stadtmuseum...
Lhasa - Tibet Autonomous Region - Tibetan Plateau - China - Tibet
Sera Monastery - Gelukpa ( debating monks)
The monastery is located on the northern outskirts of Lhasa, the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sera_Monastery
Every afternoon, monks of the monastery gather in the debating courtyard and argue over philosophy in the most animated fashion. It is quite a spectacle,
October 2019
St Barnabas' Monastery and Museum, Famagusta, Cyprus
Saint Barnabas Monastery & Museum
The Monastery of St. Barnabas is at the opposite side of the Salamis-Famagusta road, by the Royal Tombs. You can easily tell it by its two fairly large domes. It was built to commemorate the foremost saint of Cyprus, whose life was so intertwined with the spread of the Christian message in the years immediately following the death of Christ.
Barnabas was a native of the ancient city Salamis, and was a Jew, though his family had been settled for some time in Cyprus. His real name was in fact Joses, or Joseph; Barnabas was the name given to him by the early Christian apostles because he was recognised as `a son of Prophecy', or as Luke puts it `a son of consolation'. There is no contradiction here. Luke is merely emphasising that one of the great historic functions of prophecy was to console the believer and keep him in the faith.
He was reputed to be an inspired teacher of Christianity, but more than that he played a very great role in the development of early Christianity. He was also the man to acknowledge that Paul's conversion to Christianity was absolutely sincere, and above all he recognised the genius of Paul, whom he introduced to the Christian fellowship in Jerusalem. When Barnabas was later sent to Antioch to supervise the work of the early Church there, he had Paul as his assistant. Later still, of course, he undertook his great missionary journey with Paul, visiting among other places, his own country of Cyprus.
Finally, of course, we know certainly that Paul and Barnabas had a strong diffrence of opinion about Barnabas' nephew, John Mark, and the two friends parted company. Paul wrote later that the rift was healed but by that time Barnabas was probably already back in Cyprus.
The monastery which bears Barnabas' name was originally built in the last part of the fifth century, to commemorate the discovery of his body, and the dignity and the seniority it brought to the early Christian Church of Cyprus. Parts of the early building have been preserved in the more recent churh which was built by Archbishop Philotheos in 1756. The money for the purchase of the land on which the monastery was built, is supposed to have been provided by the Byzantine Emperor at the time Barnabas' body was found.
When you look carefully at the church you will notice the traces of the original fifth century building and also places it seems to have been enlarged and changed, probably in the very late mediaeval period. But in the main it is fairly conventional Greek Orthodox architecture of the eighteen century.
On one of the walls, the story of how Barnabas' body was shown to the Archbishop in a dream, is rendered in small pictures. These were done in the present century, but some of the icons and statues are a good deal older.
On another wall, somewhat incongruously, hang wax replicas of limbs in a gesture of gratitude for the ailing limbs which the Apostle Barnabas is supposed to have miraculously cured. Close by, the image of st. Heraklion stares at you from every angle you choose. All these items, ancient and modern have been very well looked after and are shown with great oride by the curator of the church.
The marble columns supporting the domes are conspicuous and rather spectacular. It is impossible to be certain, but these may well have come from Salamis. In one sense, the little rock tomb in which Barnabas is supposed to have been found gives the authentic flavour of the Christian evangelist and martyr much more effectively.
The church of St Barnabas is exactly as it was when its last three monks left it in 1976. The church apparatus ; pulpits, wooden lectern, and pews are still in place. It houses a rich collection of painted and gilt icons mostly dating from the 18th century.
The carved blocks and capital blocks in the garden and cloister courtyard come from Salamis. The black basalt grinding mill come from Enkomi.
The cloister of the monastery have recently been restored and at present serve as the archaeological museum. This section houses an exquisite collection of ancient pottery displayed chronologically, representing the changes in morphology and decoration of pottery in Cyprus from the Neolithic to the Roman times. The rest of the collection covers bronze and marble art objects.
Noravank (Armenian: Նորավանք, meaning "New Monastery" in Armenian) is a 13th century Armenian monastery.
The gorge where the monastery is located is known for its tall, sheer, brick-red cliffs, directly across from the monastery.
The monastery is best known for its two-storey Surp Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God) church, which grants access to the second floor by way of a narrow stone-made staircase jutting out from the face of building.
Noravank was founded in 1205. The monastic complex includes the church of S. Karapet, S. Grigor chapel with a vaulted hall, and the church of S. Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God). Ruins of various civil buildings and khachkars are found both inside and outside of the compound walls.
For more information:
Capriana Monastery - Moldova
Căpriana monastery is a monastery in Căpriana, Moldova, located 40 km north-west of Chişinău.
One of the oldest monasteries of Moldova, Căpriana is located 40 km (25 mi) to the north-west of the country's capital Chișinău in a picturesque forested area once called Codrii Lăpușnei.
The first significant reference dates from a document issued in 1429 that gave Căpriana the status of royal monastery on behalf of Alexander the Good. In this deed the holy abode was referred to as "mănăstirea de la Vâșnovăț unde este egumen Chiprian" (the monastery of Vâșnovăț where the hegumen is Chiprian) and was given in the possession of Alexander's wife - princess Marena.
Under kharo la pass on the road to Gyantse
In Wiki
Ralung Monastery (Tibetan: རྭ་ལུང་, Wylie: Rwa-lung), located in the Tsang region of western Tibet, south of the Karo La (pass), is the traditional seat of the Drukpa order of Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded in 1180 by Tsangpa Gyare who was the First Gyalwang Drukpa, a disciple of Drogon Pakmodrupa, and the founder of the Drukpa order.[1]
Ralung is one of the most sacred places in Tibet, for it is here that the great Dugpa school of red-hat monks originated, a school still influential with numerous adherents in Southern, Northern, and Eastern Tibet, and in Bhutan, which latter country is, in fact, called Dugpa owing to the preponderance of this sect. The Ralung-til, the head monastery of the Dugpa, is to the south-east of this village. This monastery owes its name to the fact that it is surrounded by mountains as the heart (mt'il) of a lotus is by the corolla.
The Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland, is a famous Polish shrine to the Virgin Mary and one of the country's places of pilgrimage for many the monastery is a spiritual capital. The image of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, also known as Our Lady of Częstochowa, to which miraculous powers are attributed, is one of Jasna Góra's most precious treasures.
Jasna Góra Monastery was founded in 1382 by Pauline monks who came from Hungary at the invitation of Władysław, Duke of Opole. The monastery has been a pilgrimage destination for hundreds of years, and it contains an important icon of the Virgin Mary. The icon, depicting the Mother of God with the Christ Child, is known as the Black Madonna of Częstochowa or Our Lady of Częstochowa, which is widely venerated and credited with many miracles.[3] Among these, it is credited with miraculously saving the Jasna Góra monastery during a siege that took place at the time of The Deluge, a 17th-century Swedish invasion. The event stimulated the Polish resistance. The Poles could not immediately change the course of the war, but, after an alliance with the Crimean Khanate, they repulsed the Swedes. Shortly thereafter, in the cathedral of Lviv, on April 1, 1656, Jan Kazimierz, the King of Poland, solemnly pronounced his vow to consecrate the country to the protection of the Mother of God and proclaimed Her the Patron and Queen of the lands in his kingdom.
Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have both prayed in this Chapel.
Paul VI wanted to use his visit at Jasna Góra to offer to the custodians of the image of Our Lady of Częstochowa the gold rose, the highest distinction to be granted by the pope. His absence prevented this and the golden rose was donated only by John Paul II during his first pilgrimage to Poland. The other rose for Our Lady of Częstochowa was offered by Benedict XVI in 2006
The 6th World Youth Day was hosted in Poland in the city of Czestochowa. The theme for WYD1991 was taken from St. Paul's letter to Romans: "You received the Spirit of adoption, enabling us to cry out 'Abba, Father!'" (Rom 8, 15).
Pope Francis will pray here on
on 28 July during WYD
© Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk
Haghpat Monastery, also known as Haghpatavank (Armenian: Հաղպատավանք), is a medieval monastery complex in Haghpat, Armenia.
The monastery was founded by Queen Khosrovanuysh, wife of the Bagratid king Ashot III, probably in 976. The nearby monastery at Sanahin was built around the same time.
The location of Haghpat Monastery was chosen so that it overlooks the Debed River in northern Armenia's Lori region. It was built, not on a peak, but halfway up a hillside on a site chosen to afford protection and concealment from prying eyes and also in response to a kind of monastic humility. It is built on a verdant promontory located in the middle of a mountain cirque, which is often wreathed in clouds. A peak on the opposite side of the river is over 2,500 meters high. The monasteries of northern Armenia are not isolated, unlike their counterparts in the country's arid regions. They were built in a village environment and Haghpat is surrounded by many hamlets.
The largest church in the complex, the Cathedral of Surb Nishan, probably begun in 976, was completed in 991 by king Smbat. It is a typical example of tenth century Armenian architecture, its central dome rests on the four imposing pillars of the lateral walls. The outside walls are dotted with triangular recesses. A fresco in the apse depicts Christ Pantocrator. Its donor, the Armenian Prince Khutulukhaga, is depicted in the south transept (a transversal nave intersecting the main nave). The sons of the church's founder, Princes Smbat and Kurike, are shown with Queen Khosravanuysh in a bas-relief on the east gable. Apart from one or two minor restorations carried out in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, the church has retained its original character.
There are several other structures at the site as well. There is the small domed Church of Sourb Grigor (St. Gregory ) from 1005. Two side chapels were added to the original church; the larger one built in the beginning of the 13th century and the smaller, known as "Hamazasp House", built in 1257. In 1245, a three-story tall free-standing belltower was constructed. Other 13th century additions include the chapel of Sourb Astvatsatsin, the scriptorium, and a large refectory which is outside the monastery limits.
There are also a number of splendid khachkars (cross-stones) of the 11th-13th centuries standing on the territory of the monastery, the best known among them is the "Amenaprkich" (All-Savior) khachkar which has been standing since 1273.
The monastery has been damaged many times. Sometime around 1130, an earthquake destroyed parts of Haghpat Monastery and it was not restored until fifty years later. It also suffered numerous attacks by armed forces in the many centuries of its existence and from a major earthquake in 1988. Nevertheless, much of the complex is still intact and stands today without substantial alterations.
Monastery is an Orthodox Christian monastery for women of the Church of Romania. It is the largest & also the last built of the painted monasteries of Bucovina. It was built in 1581 by the Bishop of Rădăuţi, Gheorghe Movila. Frescoes are the work of 2 master painters, Ioan and his brother Sofronie from Suceava.
Rudi-Arionesti monastery.
In the picturesque valley in the North of Moldova at the right back of Dniester, on the territory of the national park of Rudi - Arionesti there is a monastic ensemble of Saint Trinity built in the second half of the XVIIth century. The dominating element of this ensemble is the church built in 1772 having the same name as the monastery. Around the church various subsidiary structures are located such as the abbot's house, the refectory, cells and dwelling premises. Only the orchard and the bee garden are situated beyond the monastery.
According to its layout the monastery church is a true successor of traditions of ancient Moldavian structures. All the three apses - the eastern, the southern and the northern ones are of the same diameter and height. The narthex is more elongated since it is separated from the naos by a triple arcade.
Inside the bulk of the western wall there is a staircase leading to the choir gallery. Ancient inscriptions are made on the northern altar wall. The ancient iconostasis created by local craftsmen is mounted between the naos and altar. On many interior walls fragments of murals performed in the fresco method still can be seen.
The Voroneț Monastery is a medieval monastery in the Romanian village of Voroneţ, now a part of the town Gura Humorului. It is one of the famous painted monasteries from southern Bukovina, in Suceava County.[1] The monastery was constructed by Stephen the Great in 1488 over a period of 3 months and 3 weeks to commemorate the victory at Battle of Vaslui. Often known as the "Sistine Chapel of the East", the frescoes at Voroneț feature an intense shade of blue known in Romania as "Voroneț blue."
The monastery is located to the south of Gura Humorului in Suceava County, in the valley of the Voroneț River. The legend of the origin of the church unites two men central to Romanian history: the founder of the monastery, Stephen the Great, and Saint Daniil the Hermit, the first abbot of the monastery. The tomb of Saint Daniil is located within the monastery.
The church is one of the Painted churches of Moldavia listed in UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites. More info at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voroneț_Monastery
Mosteiro Santa Maria da Vitória, Batalha, PORTUGAL
[PT] Mosteiro da Batalha: pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosteiro_da_Batalha
[EN] Batalha Monastery: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batalha_Monastery
The Jeronimos Monastery is the most impressive symbol of Portugal's power and wealth during the Age of Discovery. King Manuel I built it in 1502 on the site of a hermitage founded by Prince Henry the Navigator, where Vasco da Gama and his crew spent their last night in Portugal in prayer before leaving for India. It was built to commemorate Vasco Da Gama's voyage and to give thanks to the Virgin Mary for its success. Vasco da Gama's tomb was placed inside by the entrance, as was the tomb of poet Luis de Camões, author of the epic The Lusiads in which he glorifies the triumphs of Da Gama and his compatriots. Other great figures in Portuguese history are also entombed here, like King Manuel and King Sebastião, and poets Fernando Pessoa and Alexandre Herculano.
The monastery was populated by monks of the Order of Saint Jerome (Hieronymites), whose spiritual job was to give guidance to sailors and pray for the king's soul. It is one of the great triumphs of European Gothic (UNESCO has classified it a World Heritage monument), with much of the design characterized by elaborate sculptural details and maritime motifs. This style of architecture became known as Manueline, a style of art that served to glorify the great discoveries of the age.
The cloisters are magnificent, each column differently carved with coils of rope, sea monsters, coral, and other sea motifs evocative of that time of world exploration at sea. Here is also the entrance to the former refectory that has beautiful reticulated vaulting and tile decoration on the walls depicting the Biblical story of Joseph.
The church interior is spacious with octagonal piers richly decorated with reliefs, and outside is a garden laid out in 1940 consisting of hedges cut in the shape of various municipal coats of arms of Portugal. In the center is a large fountain also decorated with coats of arms, often illuminated on special occasions.
Noravank (Armenian: Նորավանք, meaning "New Monastery" in Armenian) is a 13th century Armenian monastery.
The gorge where the monastery is located is known for its tall, sheer, brick-red cliffs, directly across from the monastery.
The monastery is best known for its two-storey Surp Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God) church, which grants access to the second floor by way of a narrow stone-made staircase jutting out from the face of building.
Noravank was founded in 1205. The monastic complex includes the church of S. Karapet, S. Grigor chapel with a vaulted hall, and the church of S. Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God). Ruins of various civil buildings and khachkars are found both inside and outside of the compound walls.
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Calaraseuca Monastery - Moldova
Decorations in the Chapel
insideCalaraseuca Monastery is a monastery in the north of Moldova, located on the right a river Nistru. It was founded in the eighteenth century. In 1780 the old church could no longer be used, and Hagi Marcu Donici of Movilau, on the left a river Nistru, built a church and a steeple, which was sanctified in 1782 dedicated to the Assumption Holy Mother of God. In 1853 starts the construction of two churches dedicated to St. Mitrofan of Voronejului.
In 1916 the monks go to other monasteries, and nuns are brought Calaraseuca Virov refugees in the monastery, from Poland (located at the time of the Austro-German occupation). In 1961 the communist authorities Calaraseuca monastery transformed into a hospital for mentally disabled children. The church winter was transformed in a club and summer in the hospital warehouse. On 3 May 1991, nuns from the monastery was reopened Calaraseuca.