View allAll Photos Tagged monastery
Astvatsnkal Monastery, in the Aragatsotn Region of Armenia,
commands a breathtaking view of the Kasakh river gorge.
© Copyright www.vahep.com - all rights reserved.
This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from Vahé Peroomian.
The Sinaia Monastery, located in Sinaia, in Prahova County, Romania, was founded by Prince Mihail Cantacuzino in 1695 and named after the great Saint Catherine's Monastery on Mount Sinai in Egypt.
As of 2005, it is inhabited by 13 Christian Orthodox monks led by hegumen Macarie Boguș.
It is part of the Bucharest archdiocese.
Its architectural style is Byzantine
The monastery gave its name to the town of Sinaia.
The monastery consists of two courtyards surrounded by low buildings.
In the centre of each courtyard there is a small church built in the Byzantine style.
One of them —"Biserica Veche" (The Old Church)— dates from 1695, while the more recent "Biserica Mare" (The Great Church) was built in 1846.
The monks possess a library that is a repository for valuable jewels belonging to the Cantacuzino family, as well as the earliest Romanian translation of the Bible, dated 1668.
Prince (Spătarul) Mihail Cantacuzino founded the monastery upon his return from a pilgrimage to Mount Sinai.
The first buildings were completed between 1690 and 1695.
It was designed to serve as a monastery as well as a fortified stronghold on the route from Brasov to Bucharest.
The initial plan was for the monastery to hold 12 monks, to imitate the Twelve Apostles, but in time the number of monks grew.
In the midst of the Russo-Turkish War, 1735–1739, before deserting the monastery, monks hid the valuables by burying them inside a bell.
During a battle, the Turks defeated troops stationed within the walls of the monastery.
The Ottomans burned the area and broke through the wall in two places.
Until 1850, Sinaia consisted of little more than the monastery and a group of huts.
In 1864, however, the monastic estate was assigned to the Board of Civil Hospitals (Eforia Spitalelor Civile), which opened a hospital and several baths, and helped develop mineral springs in Sinaia.
In 1948, the monastery was put under the patronage of the Archdiocese of Bucharest from the Board of Civil Hospitals.
The Romanian Patriarch, Justinian Marina, restored the buildings between the years 1951 and 1957 with money from the Archdiocese.
During this period, the whole monastery was fitted with running water, electricity, and natural gas.
Thanks to the efforts of King Carol I, the Great Church of the monastery became the first church to use electric lights inside.
Under the leadership of Hegumens Ioasaf and Paisie, construction of The Great Church began in 1842 using funds allocated by the monastery and was completed in 1846.
This smaller structure was enlarged by the Board of Civil Hospitals during a period from 1897 to 1903.
All these efforts gave the building the appearance it has today.
Created by architect George Mandrea, the structure utilizes the Moldavian style and the Brâncovenesc style from Walachia.
It is said that the belt of three green enamel lines that encircle the building represent the unity of the Holy Trinity in one God and the unity of the Three Romanian Kingdoms in one country.
The gold mosaic paintings inside were created by Danish artist Aage Exner in a typical neo-Byzantine style.
The main illustrations show five persons:
Iosif Gheorghian mitropolit primat – he re-opened the building in 1903
Carol I of Romania – shown dressed as an officer, with his right hand upon a rock pillar with a missing piece.
This symbolizes the missing Romanian territories at that time
Elisabeth of Wied – Queen consort of Romania, known in the literary world as Carmen Sylva
Princess Maria of Romania – Queen Elisabeta's only child, who died at an early age
Mihail Cantacuzino – builder of the Old Church
The furniture was made of wood (sycamore, maple, and oak) by Constantin Babic and his students at the Bucharest Art School (Ṣcoala de Arte si Meserii).
The King's throne displays the royal emblem and the motto Nihil sine Deo (Nothing without God).
The Queen's throne is embossed with the letters E.D. Both thrones are gold-plated.
The two Russian icons, of Saint Serghei and Saint Nicholas, were a gift from Tsar Nicholas II of Russia in 1903.
They were presented to the Hegumen Nifon Arhimandritul for the baptism of Prince Nicholae, son of King Ferdinand.
A remarkable piece adorning the monastery is the epitaphios by Anna Roth, made of silk and gold on a cotton base.
It took three years (from 1897 to 1900) to finish.
During the leadership of Hegumen Nifon Popescu (1888–1909), a large bell tower was added to the monastery walls.
It was completed in 1892.
The 1,700-kilogram bell was brought from the Colţea Tower in Bucharest.
To the left of the bell tower atthe entrance lies the Museum.
In 1895 the museum of the monastery was opened, the first exhibition of religious objects in Romania.
It holds collections of icons and crosses from the 17th century, the very first Bible in Romanian (Bucharest, 1688), and many other precious objects.
The New Church dates back to 1846, but was renovated and enlarged in the following decades at the initiative of King Carol the 1st who used the monastery as a summer residence until the inauguration of the nearby Peles Castle.
Given the constant presence of its royal guests, the Great Church was adorned with the large-scale painted portraits of Queen Elisabeta and King Carol the 1st and two royal seats close to the altar.
The large proportions of the New Church and combination of typical elements of the ‘Brancovenesc’ style — the small porch with carved stone columns and ornated portal — and the Moldavian church style — high and solid walls similar to a fortress — create a one of a kind church in Southern Romania, a symbol of the cultural unity of the Romanian provinces.
The Hieronymites Monastery (Mosteiro dos Jerónimos) is located in the Belém district of Lisbon, Portugal.
part of the former cistercian monastery Altzelle near Nossen. The monastery was founded in 1162 and it was closed in 1540.
this beautiful monastery was founded and built by the Cistercians- it is now a tourist destination and luxury hotel.
The monastery was built in 1152, it is called Real Monasterio de Nuestra Señora de Rueda- the Royal Monastery of Our Lady of the Waterwheel. The monks designed and built a giant waterwheel to move the water from the Ebro river up to the monastery. There are still channels and ditches, the gardens have an intricate irrigation system.
Fra klosteret regeredes Montenegro fra 1500-tallet af en række af "vladikaer", fyrstbiskopper, der var næsten helt selvstændige i forhold til Osmannerriget. Da de var munke, efterfulgtes de af deres nevøer. Det nuværende kloster er fra 1700-tallet og er stadig landets kirkelige centrum.
From the monastery Montenegro was ruled from the 16th century by a succession of "Vladikas", prince-bishops who were almost completely independent from the Ottoman empire. As they were monks, they were succeded by their nephews. The present monastery is from the 18th century and is still the ecclesiastical centre of the country.
Haghpat, together with the nearby Sanahin Monastery, were founded around the 10th century and was once the centre of learning in the region. Throughout the years the monastery had been pillaged for a number of times and also damaged by nearby earthquakes. The library had survived, and pots in the ground were found where valuable scrolls would have been hidden during difficult times.
Hahgpat, Lori Province, northern Armenia.
Drepung Monastery is located at the foot of Mount Gephel about three miles from Lhasa, and is one of the great three university monasteries of Tibet.
A throw-back to my trip to Bulgaria in 2009. One very wet afternoon we visited the famous monastery at Rila. We probably would have gone anyway, but the heavy rain meant that there would be few butterflies to see in the area.
This board gives a basic history of the monastery and explains its importance in Bulgarian culture.
Ling Yin monastery
West Lake Hangzhou
Zhejiang Province, China
The west lake is famous for its beautiful scenery
Blackfriars Monastery in front of Madras College, St Andrews.Believed to have been founded around 1270's. Madras College was built at the request of its founder Dr. Bell to blend in with the Monastery.
Founded in 1083, the monastery was destroyed after the first waves of Turkish invasion, but rebuilt towards the end of the 15th century. Its mural paintings, which were created in the early 1600s, bear a significant artistic value.