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The huge and sprawling Selime Rock Monastery was carved out the rock by Christian monks in the 13th century. A steep climb is the only way to access it.
The region of Cappadocia (Capadokya) is located in central Turkey, and is the setting for one of the strangest landscapes in the world. The deep valleys and soaring rock formations are volcanic rock formations, slowing eroding away to create the strange "Fairy Chimneys" (so called because locals thought they were so magical and extraordinary that only fairies could have created them). Many of these fairy chimneys have been hollowed out by industrious ancient people, who created homes, chapels, tombs and pigeon houses from the soft, carve-able rock. They also tunneled below, creating underground cities, some 8 stories down.
Arankele Monastery’s sylvan environment and ruins of bathing ponds gives the impression it was once a pleasure park. Arankele, on the contrary, was a 6th century cave hermitage up a forested hillside. The densely wooded terrain crowded with huge hardwood trees are interspersed by the openings and clearings created by the on-going process of clearing scattered debris to unearth the ruins and re erecting the fallen ruins.
This small monastery was built by the family Schollaert. It was inherited by the Sisters in 1916 and used to house the less fortunate people of the community.
In 2007 the Sisters left and it never got a new destination.
A rather empty monastery unfortunately. Visited this location in December 2011.
Holy Trinity-Saint Seraphim-Diveyevo Monastery ( is a monastery of nuns (convent) near Sarov (12 km), and near the city of Nizhny Novgorod (185 km), in the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russia Guide to Diveyevo . It is situated in a region considered to have immense spiritual significance. Within its immediate vicinity are situated two other cloisters: those of Sarov and Sanaxar.
Details of the Gomari Monastery
Rebkong is located in the Golden Valley of the Rongwu Guchu River in Malho prefecture southeast of Qinghai province, The valley is at about 2600m above sea-level, extends from the north to south, and is surrounded by several mountains. Rebkong is also famous for itâs Tibetan traditional arts and cultural preservation. The there are several large monasteries and villages scattering around the Rongwu town which is home to hundreds of artist. The most well known villages and monasteries are Sanggeshung Yago and Sanggeshung Mago(upper and lower Wutun), Gomar Gompa, Nyamtok village.etc. If you are interested in learning Tibetan culture and Tibetan traditional arts, Rebkong will be one of most recommend region.
Agapia Monastery in Neamţ County is a small community and a charming place to visit. Since the beginning of the 19th it has been housing some 400 nuns who take good care of the buildings and gardens in a very peaceful and friendly atmosphere.
The Lepavina Monastery is a Serb Orthodox monastery dedicated to the Presentation of Mary and located in Croatia. Established in 1550.
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:
Monastery Blaca ("Blaca desert"), Brač, Croatia, August 2006
Some stunning photos of Brač can be found at dalmacija.modrojezero.org/Brac/slides/Brac024.html
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:
This monastery was built in the 1850's and is still in excellent condition. The last Sisters left the monastery during the 1990's and it has been left abandoned since.
Currently plans are being signed off to renovate the monastery into rooms for students.
Please visit www.preciousdecay.com for more pictures!
Labrang Monastery (Tibetan: བླ་བྲང་བཀྲ་ཤིས་འཁྱིལ་, Wylie: bla-brang bkra-shis-'khyil) is one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. Its formal name is Genden Shédrup Dargyé Trashi Gyésu khyilwé Ling (Tibetan: དགེ་ལྡན་བཤད་སྒྲུབ་དར་རྒྱས་བཀྲ་ཤིས་གྱས་སུ་འཁྱིལ་བའི་གླིང༌།, Wylie: dge ldan bshad sgrub dar rgyas bkra shis gyas su 'khyil ba'i gling).
Labrang is located in Xiahe County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu, in the traditional Tibetan area of Amdo. Labrang Monastery is home to the largest number of monks outside the Tibet Autonomous Region. Xiahe is about four hours by car from the provincial capital Lanzhou.
In the early part of the 20th century, Labrang was by far the largest and most influential monastery in Amdo. It is located on the Daxia River, a tributary of the Yellow River.
The monastery was founded in 1709 by the first Jamyang Zhépa, Ngawang Tsöndrü.It is Tibetan Buddhism's most important monastery town outside the Tibetan Autonomous Region.
Labrang Monastery is situated at the strategic intersection of two major Asian cultures—Tibetan and Mongolian — and was one of the largest Buddhist monastic universities. In the early 20th century, it housed several thousand monks. Labrang was also a gathering point for numerous annual religious festivals and was the seat of a Tibetan power base that strove to maintain regional autonomy through the shifting alliances and bloody conflicts that took place between 1700 and 1950.[5]
In April 1985 the Assembly Hall burned down. It was replaced and the new building was consecrated in 1990
The monastery complex dominates the western part of the village. The white walls and gilded roofs feature a blend of Tibetan and Indian Vihara architectural styles. The monastery contains 18 halls, six institutes of learning, a gilded stupa, a sutra debate area, and houses nearly 60,000 sutras.
At its height the monastery housed 4,000 monks. Like so many religious institutions, it suffered during the Cultural Revolution; and the monks were sent to their villages to work. After it was reopened in 1980, many of the monks returned; but the government restricted enrolment to around 1,500.[7]
It has a Buddhist museum with a large collection of Buddha statues, sutras and murals. In addition, a large amount of Tibetan language books, including books on history is available for purchase, together with medicines, calendars, music and art objects.
There used to be a great gold-painted statue of the Buddha, more than 50 feet high, which was surrounded by rows of surrounding Buddhas in niches.[8]
The monastery today is an important place for Buddhist ceremonies and activities. From January 4 to 17 and June 26, to July 15, (these dates may change according to the lunar calendar), the great Buddhist ceremony will be held with Buddha-unfolding, sutra enchanting, praying, sutra debates, etc.
Lhasa - Tibet Autonomous Region - Tibetan Plateau - China - Tibet
Drepung Monastery - Gelukpa
Drepung is the largest of all Tibetan monasteries and is located on the Gambo Utse mountain, five kilometers from the western suburb of Lhasa.
Shigatse - Gyangtse - Tibet Autonomous Region - Tibetan Plateau - China - Tibet
Nyenying Monastery
There used to be thousands of monasteries in Tibet. Every family was expected to send at least one boy to a monastery. Usually, boys would be ordained at the age of seven; girls, a bit older. The monastery life used to be the only access to education and improved social status. People went to monasteries to get educated, to merit their family and to pursue religious fulfillment. Although educational and economic conditions in Tibet have improved, many Tibetans are still drawn to the monasteries.
Very interesting to read:
www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/tibet/monastery-life.htm
Il nome Agapia deriva da quello dell'eremita che costruì un ricovero in legno nel medesimo luogo in cui praticò l'eremitaggio. Fatto ristrutturare nella seconda metà del 1500, venne spostato nella attuale posizione e così denominato "Nuovo Agapia". Nel 1800 è stato ridipinto dal pittore rumeno Nicolae Grigorescu. Possiede una preziosa raccolta di icone e oggetti religiosi.
Lhasa - Tibet Autonomous Region - Tibetan Plateau - China - Tibet
Drepung Monastery - Gelukpa
Drepung is the largest of all Tibetan monasteries and is located on the Gambo Utse mountain, five kilometers from the western suburb of Lhasa.
Kloster Maulbronn im Winter
other Buddhas see here:
www.flickr.com/photos/rolfnoe/sets/72157625907083523/with...
Maulbronn Monastery see here:
Lhasa - Tibet Autonomous Region - Tibetan Plateau - China - Tibet
Drepung Monastery - Gelukpa
Drepung is the largest of all Tibetan monasteries and is located on the Gambo Utse mountain, five kilometers from the western suburb of Lhasa.
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.
Broumov Monastery new entrance and cultural center - Vzdělávací a kulturní centrum Klášter Broumov - Centrum Edukacji i Kultury klasztoru Broumov
Category: cultural
Location: Broumov, Czech Republic
Built: 2015
Oudong Buddhist Monastery.
Oudong was once the royal residence and capital of Cambodia for around 250 years up to 1866. It is about 40 km. north-west of Phnom Penh.
It sits at the foothill of Mt. Phnom Oudong. We weren't going to see the mountain which happens to be dotted with stupas and shrines though. We were going to visit the very large Oudong Buddhist monastery and meditation centre.
Bus tour, Tinos: Monastery of Kimiseos Theotokou Kechrovouniou (Monastery of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary)
Monastery of Hozoviotissa on Amorgos.
Focal length: 24,0 mm
Aperture: f/9,5
Shutter time: 1/250
ISO: 100
Camera: Pentax K200D
Lens: Sigma 24-70 f/2,8 EX DG Macro
The Franciscan Monastery, at 1400 Quincy Street NE, in the Brookland neighborhood of Washington, DC. This is the main church, Mount Saint Sepulchre (1898-99, Aristide Leonori), and it is surrounded by porticos and gardens. The statue in front is of St. Francis of Assisi.
According to tradition, the Arkadi Monastery was built in the 5th century by the Byzantine Emperor Arcadius. However, scholars believe that it was founded by a monk of the same name. The two-aisled basilica was built in 1587 during the Venetian rule over Crete and is the reconstruction of an earlier church. The monastery experienced its spiritual and cultural heyday until the 17th century. After Crete was completely conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1669 the monastery was plundered. After persuading the Pasha the monks obtained permission to return to Arkadi. The monastery was renovated and rebuilt.
After part of present-day Greece was granted independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830, resistance to the Ottoman rule intensified on Crete. In 1866, a revolutionary committee was formed at the Arkadi Monastery. Gabriel Marinakis, Abbot of Arkadi, was elected chairman of the committee responsible for the Rethymno region. In September 1866, General Panos Koronaios, sent from the Greek mainland, was appointed military commander of the uprising. Koronaios judged the monastery indefensible, but was unable to prevail with this view against the majority of the revolutionary committee. The general then left the monastery with his men.
On the night of November 7-8, 1866, an Ottoman army of 15,000 men attacked the monastery, which housed 964 people, including 325 fit men. After two days of hopeless resistance, the besieged decided they did not want to fall into the enemy's hands alive. When the fighting moved to the monastery's inner courtyard on November 9, most of the survivors, including women and children, retreated to the powder magazine, which was blown up by one of the fighters. The violent explosion killed everyone inside except for one surviving girl, as well as dozens of invading Turkish soldiers. It is said that 1,500 attackers died during the siege of Arkadi Monastery.
The Ottomans considered the capture of Arkadi a great victory. However, the events in Arkadi provoked outrage in the rest of the world. The tragedy changed world opinion about the conflict. Victor Hugo and Giuseppe Garibaldi, among others, assured the Cretans of their solidarity. But Crete did not gain de facto independence until 1897, and it was united with Greece in 1913.
Arkadi Monastery is the most important national monument on the island.
The ruins of the powder room
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:
This monastery sits near the top of a mountain. It is built into the rock wall, and houses the remains of St. Basil.
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: