INCREDIBLE MONASTERIES CARVED IN STONE

Vardzia Cave Monastery
Location: Georgia

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The cave city of Vardzia is a remarkable place, it boast a phenomenal monastery dug into the side of the Erusheli mountain in southern Georgia near Aspindza on the bank of the Mtkvari River. The monastery consists of over six thousand apartments in a thirteen story complex and has a rich history of over eight-hundred years that. It includes a church, a throne room and a complex irrigation system.

It was founded in 1185 by Queen Tamar, during that time it was unusual for a woman to reign over a country, nonetheless her reign was one of cultural wealth. Queen Tamar had long yearned to built a monastery, but there was one problem, the Mongol empire had been expanding and little Georgia was under constant thread. To avoid the Mongal onslaught, the Queen got the idea to carve her monastery out of solid rock with an underground sanctuary.

Queen Tamar was only 25 when construction began. Altogether, thirteen stories were constructed with natural caves being enlarged to contain over six-thousand dwelling places for monks and refugees. The only way to reach this underground kingdom was through a secret tunnel which started at the nearby Mtkvari river. On the outside of the hidden monastery the land of the mountain was extremely fertile and the monks created a system of irrigated terraces that fed those inside. Some say that this could well have been the very first example of a self-sustainable environment in Europe.

The city escaped the Mongols triumphantly. However, less than a hundred years after its construction, the great earthquake of 1283 brought devastation to the country. It was so powerful that it ruptured the cave system, causing much of it to collapse and cascade down the side of the Erusheli Mountain. Two thirds of the hidden city was destroyed and its intricate interiors were exposed to the world on the side of the mountain.

Fortunately, the city continued to be inhabited until 1551 when it was attacked and pillaged by the Persian Sash Tahmasp who slaughtered the monks. It was then that Vardzia was finally abandoned.
Yet in the twentieth century the monastery was revisited by monks who decided to guard its history and a small group remain there to this day.  It is more of a museum now than a monastery but still serves as a reminder of the extremes a people will go to in order to protect their culture.

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Davit Gareja Cave Monastery
Location: Georgia
 

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David Gareja (also called Udabno of Gareja or Gareja monastery) is a Georgian Orthodox monastery located in Eastern Georgia near the border of Georgia and Azerbaijan. The complex consists of hundreds of cells, churches, chapels, refectories and living quarters that has been hollowed out of the rock face. The Gareja monastery – a significant religious and cultural center – was also famous for its school of painting and for being a sanctuary for protective animal species of the time.

The complex was founded in the 6th century by St. David Garejeli, one of thirteen Assyrian monks who arrived in the country at the same time. St. David Garejeli erected the first monastery called Lavra. In time new monasteries and at its prime in the early 13th century, even owned extnsive agricultural lands and villages.

Over the centuries the monastery have survived attacks by various Mongol, Persian and Russian armies. During these attacks various Monks were slaughtered and precious manuscripts destroyed. It was only until the violent Bolshevik takeover of Georgia in 1921 that the monastery closed down. However after the restoration of Georgia's independence in 1991, the monastery life in David Gareja was revived and  remains active today and also serves as a popular tourist destination.

David Gareji is one of the most important landmarks of Georgia. This site is characterised by a unique combination of historic architecture, prehistoric archaeological sites, rich palaeonthological fields and important bio-geographical features. The dozens of cave monasteries decorated with unique frescoes are excelent examples of harmonious interaction of man made structures with the dramatic landscape. They bear the traditional principles of sustainable living and are considered as the masterpieces of Georgian Medieval art.

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Ostrog Monastery
Location: Montenegro

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The Monastery of Ostrog is a monastery of the Serbian Orthodox Church constructed against an almost vertical background, high up in the large rock of Ostroška Greda, in Montenegro. The monastery was founded by Vasilije, the Metropolitan Bishop of Herzegovina in the 17th century who dedicated it to Saint Basil of Ostrog, the Saint of Miracles.

Today, Ostrog Monastery is a pearl of Montenegrin spiritualism that is annually visited by more than a hundred thousand pilgrims from around the world. It is one of three most visited Christian destinations on the planet. The monastery is located 900 meters above sea level, so during the winter months the road to it is a challenge even for the most experienced travelers. Nevertheless, true believers are still arriving in greater and greater numbers even during this time of the year.

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Geghard Monastery
Location: Armenia

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Thirty kilometers to the east of Yerevan, and nine kilometers beyond the temple of Garni, Geghard monastery is perched above the canyon of the Azat River. Centuries before the arrival of Christianity, hermits had retreated from the world and taken refuge in the region’s naturally occurring caves. According to tradition, St. Gregory the Illuminator converted these hermits and founded the first monastery in the early 4th century.

The Geghard Monastery is traditionally known as Gheghardavank and means ‘Monastery of the Holy Lance’ refers to one of the spears said to have pierced the body of Christ. The manastery began only as a small cave chapel from there, the complex grew, becoming more ornate and massive. In 1215, the main and most prominent chapel was built. Partially carved out of the rocks on all sides of it, the stone monastery melds beautifully with its surroundings and stands out among the outcroppings above.

All told, the buildings comprising the complex are a mix of elegant Armenian stonework and carved crosses juxtaposed with bare cave chapels. The mix gives the complex a feeling of antiquity, especially when combined with the relics the area once held. Along with the religious importance of the site, the monastery offers stunning views of the Azat River Gorge surrounding the complex.

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Sümela Monastery
Location: Turkey

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The Sümela Monastery – in the region of Maçka in the Trabzon Province of modern Turkey – is a Greek Orthodox monastery dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Nestled in a steep cliff at an altitude of about 1,200 metres – facing the Altındere valley – it’s a site of great historical and cultural significance and a popular tourist attraction.

Legend has it that the monastery was originally founded in the reign of Theodosius and rebuilt in the sixth century in the reign of Justinian by Belisarios, one of his commanders. It is said that “Sumela” comes from the word “melas”, which means “dark” or “black”. Many consider that this stems from the dark hues of the mountain valley in which the Monastery is situated.

Sumela expanded over the centuries of Ottoman rule and became a complex of considerable size. The centre of the complex is a cave, or rather a hollow, almost 1200 m above sea level in the middle of a slope so steep it could be said to be almost vertical. The narrow head of rock jutting out in front of the cave – access to which is tiring and difficult in the extreme – formed the foundation of the monastery, which grew in size and accumulated wealth over the centuries. Sumela is the most famous of the old monasteries in and around Trabzon.

Today the monastery's primary function is as a tourist attraction. It overlooks forests and streams, making it extremely popular for its aesthetic attraction as well as for its cultural and religious significance. As of 2012, the Turkish government is funding restoration work, and the monastery is enjoying a revival in pilgrimage from Greece and Russia.

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See also:

The Tiger's Nest Monastery

Eritrea's Debre Bizen Monastery

Russia's Amazing Cave Church

Meteora's Beautiful Rock Tower Monasteries