Heritage with Related Tags
Mount Athos
Mount Athos has been a spiritual centre of the Orthodox Church since 1054, having enjoyed autonomous status since Byzantine times. The "holy mountain", where women and children are forbidden to enter, is also a recognised artistic destination. The layout of its monasteries (around 20 of which currently house around 1,400 monks) has influenced as far away as Russia, and its schools of painting have influenced the history of Orthodox art.
Ellora Caves
Stretching over 2 km, these 34 monasteries and temples are lined up on a high basalt cliff near Aurangabad in Maharashtra. Ellora is a series of continuous monuments dating from 600 to 1000 AD, vividly showcasing ancient Indian civilization. The Ellora complex is not only a unique masterpiece of artistic creation and technology, but its temples dedicated to Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism also reflect the unique tolerance of ancient India.
Rock-Hewn Churches of Ivanovo
In the Roussenski Valley of the Roma River in northeastern Bulgaria, a complex of rock-hewn churches, chapels, monasteries and cells developed near the village of Ivanovo. In the 12th century, the first hermits dug their cells and churches here. The 14th-century frescoes bear witness to the extraordinary skills of the artists of the Tarnovo School.
Stari Ras and Sopoćani
On the outskirts of Stari Ras, the first capital of Serbia, there is an impressive group of medieval monuments, including fortresses, churches and monasteries. Sopoćani Monastery is a witness to the contact of Western civilization with the Byzantine world.
Meteora
In the almost inaccessible sandstone peaks, monks settled on these “pillars” from the 11th century onwards. Despite the difficulties, 24 such monasteries were founded during the great revival of monastic ideals in the 15th century. The 16th-century frescoes in these monasteries mark a key stage in the development of post-Byzantine painting.
Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab)
The Qadisha Valley is one of the most important early Christian monastic settlements in the world. Many of the monasteries here are rich in history and stand out in dramatic locations amidst the rugged terrain. Nearby are the remains of the Great Cedar Forest of Lebanon, revered in ancient times for the construction of great religious buildings.
Assumption Cathedral and Monastery of the town-island of Sviyazhsk
The Assumption Cathedral is located on the town island of Sviyazhsk and is part of the monastery of the same name. Sviyazhsk, located at the confluence of the Volga, Sviyaga and Shchuka rivers, was a crossroads of the Silk Road and the Volga River and was founded by Ivan the Terrible in 1551. It was from this outpost that he launched his conquest of the Khanate of Kazan. The geographical location and architectural composition of the Assumption Monastery reflect the political and missionary plans of Tsar Ivan IV to expand the territory of Moscow. The frescoes in the cathedral are one of the rarest examples of Orthodox frescoes.
Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi
Located on a hill overlooking the plains, about 40 km from Bhopal, the ruins of Sanchi consist of a group of Buddhist monuments (monumental columns, palaces, temples and monasteries), all in varying states of conservation, most of which date back to the 2nd and 1st centuries BC. It is the oldest surviving Buddhist sanctuary and was a major Buddhist centre in India until the 12th century AD.
Churches and Convents of Goa
Goa, the former capital of Portuguese India, has churches and monasteries—particularly the Church of Bom Jesus, where St. Francis Xavier is buried—that epitomize the evangelization of Asia. These monuments had a profound influence on the spread of Manueline, Mannerist, and Baroque art forms in all the countries in Asia where missions were established.
Monastery of Saint Hilarion / Tel Um Amer
<p>The Monastery of Saint Hilarion / Tell Umm Amer is located in the coastal dunes of Nusayret. It is one of the oldest monasteries in the Middle East, dating back to the 4th century AD. It was founded by Saint Hilarion and gradually developed from a place for hermit monks to a collective monastic community, becoming the first monastic community in the "Holy Land" and laying the foundation for the spread of monastic customs in the local area. The monastery is located at the intersection of many trade and transportation routes in the Asian and African continents. Its superior geographical location makes it a hub for religious, cultural and economic exchanges, and an example of the thriving desert monastic centers in the Byzantine period. </p>
Earliest 16th-Century Monasteries on the Slopes of Popocatepetl
These 14 monasteries are located on the slopes of Popocatepetl Hill, southeast of Mexico City. Well preserved, they are examples of the architectural style adopted by the first missionaries (Franciscans, Dominicans and Augustinians) who converted the local population to Christianity in the early 16th century. They also represent a new architectural philosophy in which open spaces regained importance. The influence of this style spread throughout the Mexican territory and even beyond its borders.
The Historic Centre (Chorá) with the Monastery of Saint-John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse on the Island of Pátmos
The small island of Patmos in the Dodecanese is famous as the place where St. John the Theologian wrote the Gospel and the Book of Revelation. At the end of the 10th century, a monastery dedicated to the "Beloved Disciple" was founded here, and it has been a place of pilgrimage and Greek Orthodox learning ever since. The beautiful monastery complex is a highlight of the island. The ancient city of Chora, which is connected to it, has many religious and secular buildings.