The Monastery of Saint John of Vazelon
The Monastery of Vazelon (Μονή Βαζελώνος) is or the Monastery of Ioannes Prodromos (Αγίου Ιωάννου Προδρόμου) a ruin located in the Black Sea region of Turkey, which had been regarded as a center of Greek Orthodox life in Maçka area, retaining some control over surrounding villages until its disestablishment. Today, the monastery is accepted one […]
The Monastery of Mor Aho
The Monastery of Mor Aho, according to the tradition, was built by the saint himself with his patron Theodore and his disciple Heworo, who named the complex «Bnoyel», mening ‘built by God’. The Roman commander Demetrius, who was assigned to a military unit in the Castle of Ṭur ʿAbdin (Comfort, Anthony. ‘Fortresses of the Tur […]
The Monastery of Saint Simeon Stylites The Younger
The Monastery of Saint Simeon Stylites the Younger (Turkish: Aziz Simon manastır) lies on a hill roughly 29 kilometers southwest of Antakya and 6 kilometers to the east of Samandağ, in the southernmost Turkish province of Hatay. This was said to stand on the «miraculous mountain», possibly because it was near Mt. Cassius which was […]
The Monastery of Soumela
The Monastery of Soumela is a Greek Orthodox monastery which was dedicated to Theotokos. The monastic complex is located at Karadag (Black Mountain, Sou Mela) which is a part of Pontic Mountains and today in Maçka, Trabzon. Soumela is nestled in a steep cliff at an altitude of about 1200 meters, facing the Altindere Valley. […]
The Monastery of Mor Augin
The monastic complex of Mor Augin lies high above the Plain of Nusaybin among the steep cliffs of Mount Izlo, part of the historical region of the Ṭūr ‘Abdīn and currently located in the Turkish Province of Mardin. According to the local tradition, this is the most ancient monastery in the area, founded in the […]
The Monastery of Mor Abrohom and Mor Hobel
The Monastery of Mor Abrohom and Mor Hobel lies on a hill about one kilometre East of the city of Midyat. The monastic establishment is enclosed by tough modern walls and it includes three churches, two of which dates before the Arab conquest. According to the local tradition, it was founded in the fifth century […]
The Monastery of Mor Gabriel
The Monastery of Mor Gabriel, historically near the village of Qartmin and presently located 22 kilometers S-E of city of Midyat (Mardin Prov.), is the seat of the bishop of Ṭūr ‘Abdīn. It is a large monastery with buildings dating to various periods. The foundation myth of the monastery, in the hagiographic text named “Qartmin […]
The Monastery of Mor Hananyo
The monastic complex of Mor Ḥananyo is located 5 kilometers East of the Turkish city of Mardin, capital of the homonymous province. It lies in a shallow basin half-way up the side of the mountain ridge. It’s ancient name of “Monastery of St Ananias” was due to a bishop of Mardin, who rebuilt the monastery […]
The Monastery of Mor Lo´ozor
Mor Lo’ozor Monastery is on the top of a hill, few kilometers from the village of Mercimekli (Syriac Habsenas) north of Midyat. The British historian Andrew Palmer claims that it was founded by Shem‘un, the son of Mundar of Habsenas, who died in 734 (Palmer, Andrew. ‘La Montagne Aux LXX Monastères. La Géographie Monastique Du […]
The Monastery of Mor Yakub at Salah
The Monastery of Mor Yakub lies in a valley West of the village of Ṣalaḥ. Its foundation dates back to the 5th or 6th century, based on comparisons with the plan of Mor Gabriel complex and to the tradition that it was founded on the site of the martyrdom of the Egyptian monk Mor Barshabo, […]