Site type guide
Monastery
Crawlable taxonomy page generated from the current site detail schema and used in the internal linking graph.
Traditions represented here
77 sites
Browse this type across countries, traditions, and sacred landscapes.
Abbey of Saint-Martin-du-Canigou
Casteil, Occitanie, France
Abbey of Saint-Martin-du-Canigou in Casteil, Occitanie, France.
Abbey of the Sacred Heart, Keur Moussa, Senegal
Communauté rurale de Keur Moussa, Thiès Region, Senegal
Abbey of the Sacred Heart, Keur Moussa, Senegal is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 14.77848, -17.12411. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage, ceremonial. Tradition: Christianity. Associated figure: Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Abu Mena
Izbat Muhammad Farid, Alexandria, Egypt
Abu Mena is a monastery complex of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 30.85156, 29.66615. Attributes: built, cultural, archaeological, pilgrimage. Tradition: Christianity. Associated figure: St. Menas of Alexandria. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Abu Mena (also spelled Abu Mina; Coptic: ⲁⲃⲃⲁ ⲙⲏⲛⲁ; Arabic: أبو مينا, romanized: Abū Mīnā pronounced [æbuˈmæyːnæ]) was a town, monastery complex and Christian pilgrimage centre in Late Antique Egypt, about 50 km (31 mi) southwest of Alexandria, near New Borg El Arab city. Its remains were designated a World Heritage Site in 1979 for the site s importance in early Christianity. There are very few standing remains, but the foundations of most major buildings, such as the great basilica, are easily discernible. Recent agricultural efforts in the area have led to a significant rise in the water table, which has caused a number of the site s buildings to collapse or become unstable. The site was added to the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2001. Authorities were forced to place sand in the bases of buildings that are most endangered in the site.
Agia Triada Monastery
Chania, Region of Crete, Greece
Agia Triada Monastery is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 35.56057, 24.13502. Attributes: built, cultural. Tradition: Greek Orthodox. Associated figure: Holy Trinity. Agia Triada Monastery ((in Greek) Μονή Αγίας Τριάδος) or the Monastery of Agia Triada Tsangarolon is a Greek Orthodox monastery in the Akrotiri peninsula in the Chania regional unit, Crete, Greece. It also contains a museum. The monastery, whose name means Holy Trinity , was built in the 17th century by two brothers of the Venetian Zangaroli family on the site of a pre-existing church. The monks produce and sell wine and olive oil on the premises. Located in Χανιά, Αποκεντρωμένη Διοίκηση Κρήτης, Ελλάς.
Alchi Gompa, Ladakh
Alchi, India
Alchi Gompa, Ladakh is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 34.22370, 77.17523. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Buddhist. Located in India.
Alvastra Abbey
Västra Tollstad, Östergötlands län, Sweden
Alvastra Abbey is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 58.29674, 14.65845. Attributes: built, cultural, archaeological. Tradition: Cistercian. Alvastra Abbey (Alvastra klosterruin) was a Cistercian monastery located at Alvastra in Östergötland, Sweden. Located in Västra Tollstad, Östergötlands län, Sweden.
Amarbayasgalant Monastery
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Amarbayasgalant Monastery is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 47.91960, 106.90759. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage, ceremonial. Tradition: Buddhism. Associated figure: Maitreya. Amarbayasgalant Monastery (Mongolian: Амарбаясгалант хийд, ᠠᠮᠤᠷ ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠰᠬᠤᠯᠠᠩᠲᠤ ᠬᠡᠶᠢᠳAmurbayasqulangtu keyid; Manchu: ᡠ᠊ᡵᡤᡠᠨ ᡝᠯᡥᡝ ᠰᡟ Urgun Elhe Sy, simplified Chinese: 庆宁寺; traditional Chinese: 慶寧寺; pinyin: Qìngníng sì) or the azzaya , is one of the three largest Buddhist monastic centers in Mongolia. The monastery complex is located in the Iven Valley near the Selenge River, at the foot of Mount Büren-Khaan in Baruunbüren sum (district) of Selenge Province in northern Mongolia. The nearest town is Erdenet which is about 60 km to the southwest. The monastery was established and funded by order of the Yongzheng Emperor (and completed under his successor the Qianlong Emperor) of Qing China to serve as a final resting place for Zanabazar (1635–1723), the first Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, or spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism for the Khalkha in Outer Mongolia and a spiritual mentor to both emperors ancestor, the Kangxi Emperor. Tradition holds that while searching for an appropriate site to build the monastery, the exploratory group came across two young boys, Amur and Bayasqulangtu, playing on the steppe. They were inspired to build the monastery on that very spot and to name it after the two children, Amur-Bayasqulangtu. More likely, the location was chosen because it stood at the place where the lama s traveling Da Khuree (his mobile monastery and prime residence) was encamped at the moment of his death. Construction took place between 1727 and 1736 and Zanabazar s remains were transferred there in 1779. Amarbayasgalant monastery is dedicated to Zanabazar s main tutelary deity, Maitreya. Unlike Erdene Zuu Monastery, which is an ensemble of temple halls of different styles, Amarbayasgalant shows great stylistic unity. The overriding style is Chinese, with some Mongol and Tibetan influence. The monastery resembles Yongzheng s own palace Yonghegong in Beijing (converted by his son the Qianlong Emperor into a Buddhist monastery). Originally consisting of over 40 temples, the monastery was laid out in a symmetrical pattern, with the main buildings succeeding one another along a north–south axis, while the secondary buildings are laid out on parallel sides. Amarbayasgalant was one of the very few monasteries to have partly escaped destruction during the Stalinist purges of 1937, after which only the buildings of the central section remained. Many of the monks were executed by the country s Communist regime and the monastery s artifacts, including thangkas, statues, and manuscripts were looted, although some were hidden until more fortunate times. Today, only 28 temples remain. Restoration work began in 1988 with funds provided by UNESCO and private sources and some of the new statuary was commissioned in New Delhi, India. Located in Улан-Батор, Монгол улс ᠮᠤᠩᠭᠤᠯ ᠤᠯᠤᠰ.
Ardmore
County Waterford, The Municipal District of Dungarvan — Lismore, Ireland
Ardmore is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 51.94880, -7.72581. Attributes: built, cultural, archaeological. Tradition: Christianity. Ardmore comes from the Irish: Ard Mór or the Scottish Gaelic: Àird Mhòr meaning great height and may refer to: Located in The Municipal District of Dungarvan — Lismore, Éire / Ireland.
Bachkovo Monastery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Bachkovo, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Bachkovo Monastery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 41.94174, 24.84972. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Christian. Associated figure: Virgin Mary. Located in Пловдив, Bulgaria.
Barsana Monastery, Romania
Bârsana, Maramureș, Romania
Barsana Monastery, Romania is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 47.79308, 24.09201. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Christian. Located in Bârsana, Maramureș, Romania.
Basarbovo Monastery
Basarbovo, Ruse, Bulgaria
Basarbovo Monastery is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 43.76666, 25.96485. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Bulgarian Orthodox. Associated figure: St. Dimitar Basarbovski. Mythological context: Christianity. Basarbovo Monastery (Bulgarian: Басарбовски манастир) – the Monastery of Saint Dimitar Basarbowski – is a Bulgarian Orthodox cave monastery near the city of Ruse in north-eastern Bulgaria. It has the same name as the nearby village of Basarbovo and lies about 35 metres above the river Rusenski Lom, south of the Danube. Although founded during the Second Bulgarian Empire, the oldest written mention of the monastery dates to the 15th century in an Ottoman tax register. The monastery became famous in the 17th century after the death of St. Dimitar Basarbovski, whom St Paisiy Hilendarski talks about in the book Istoriya Slavyanobolgarskaya. St. Dimitar Basarbovski was a shepherd and led an ascetic life in the rocks of the monastery. He died in 1685. He was buried in the village church, but during the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774, General Pyotr Saltykov agreed to transfer his relics to Russia. The road passed through Romania. At that time, that region was suffering through a plague epidemic. The legend tells that when the saint s relics entered Bucharest, people stopped dying from the plague. The residents of the town asked the General to leave the saint s body there. Today his relics are located in Bucharest in the St. St. Constantine and Elena Church. In 1937, Father Hrisant settled in Basarbovo Monastery and revived it. The monastery celebrates its patron on October 26, St. Dimitar s Day. It is the only active cave monastery in the modern history of Bulgaria. It was named a historical landmark in 1978. Located in Басарбово, Русе, Bulgaria.
Basgo Gompa, Ladakh
Nimo, Ladakh, India
Basgo Gompa, Ladakh is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 34.22449, 77.27674. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Buddhism. Associated figure: Maitreya. Located in Ladakh, India.
Bektashi Sufi Tekke monastery, Blagaj
Dračevice, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bektashi Sufi Tekke monastery, Blagaj is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 43.25697, 17.90306. Attributes: built, natural, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Sufism. Located in Federacija Bosne i Hercegovine, Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина.
Bistrita Monastery, Romania
Bistrița, Neamț, Romania
Bistrita Monastery, Romania is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 46.95778, 26.28942. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Christianity. Located in Alexandru cel Bun, Neamț, Romania.
Bomdila Monastery, Bomdila, Arunachal Pradesh
Bomdila, Arunachal Pradesh, India
Bomdila Monastery, Bomdila, Arunachal Pradesh is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 27.27050, 92.41858. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Buddhism. Located in Arunachal Pradesh, India.
Chemrey Gompa, Ladakh
Chemre, Ladakh, India
Chemrey Gompa, Ladakh is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 33.95909, 77.78910. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Buddhism. Located in Ladakh, India.
Cheri Monastery/Chagri Monastery
Boegarna_Dodennang, Thimphu District, Bhutan
Cheri Monastery/Chagri Monastery is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 27.59555, 89.62536. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Buddhism. Located in Boegarna_Dodennang, ཐིམ་ཕུ་རྫོང་ཁག་, འབྲུགཡུལ་.
Chernihiv
Chernihiv, Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine
Chernihiv is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 51.47741, 31.28039. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Christianity. Chernihiv (Ukrainian: Чернігів, IPA: [tʃerˈn⁽ʲ⁾iɦiu̯] ; Russian: Чернигов, romanized: Chernigov, IPA: [tɕɪrˈnʲiɡəf]) is a city and municipality in northern Ukraine, which serves as the administrative center of Chernihiv Oblast and Chernihiv Raion within the oblast. Chernihiv s population is 282,747 (2022 estimate). The city was designated as a Hero City of Ukraine by the Ukrainian government during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Located in Чернігів, Чернігівська область, Україна.
Chimi Lhakhang
Oomtekha, Punakha District, Bhutan
Chimi Lhakhang is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 27.52715, 89.87806. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage, ceremonial. Tradition: Buddhist. Associated figure: Drukpa Kunley. Mythological context: Buddhist. Chimi Lhakhang (Dzongkha: ཁྱི་མེད་ལྷ་ཁང), also known as Chime Lhakhang or Monastery or temple, is a Buddhist monastery in Punakha District, Bhutan. Located near Lobesa, it stands on a round hillock and was founded and built in 1499 by the Drukpa Kagyu lama Ngawang Chogyal, who was the 14th abbot of Ralung Monastery. Due to its construction in the location where the demoness who turned into dog was subdued, the temple was named Chimi Lhakhang or Khimey Lhakhang. According to Lam Drukpa Kuenley s biography, the original name of the temple was Khibur/Chibur Lhakhang. Although Khi/Chi is a dog, bur refers to a stack or mound that was created after the tamed dog has been buried. The site was blessed by Ngawang Chogyal s cousin, Drukpa Kunley (1455–1529), who also built a chorten on the site. In preparing and blessing the site it is said that Lama Kunley subdued a demon of Dochu La with his magic thunderbolt of wisdom and trapped it in a rock at the location close to where the chorten now stands. He was known as the Mad Saint or “Divine Madman” for his unorthodox ways of teaching Buddhism by singing, humour and outrageous behaviour, which amounted to being bizarre, shocking and with sexual overtones. He is also the saint who advocated the use of phallus symbols as paintings on walls and as flying carved wooden phalluses on house tops at four corners of the eaves. The monastery is the repository of the original wooden symbol of phallus that Kunley brought from Tibet. This wooden phallus is decorated with a silver handle and is used to bless people who visit the monastery on pilgrimage, particularly women seeking blessings to beget children. The tradition at the monastery is to strike pilgrims on the head with a 10-inch (25 cm) wooden phallus (erect penis). Traditionally symbols of an erect penis in Bhutan have been intended to drive away the evil eye and malicious gossip. Located in Sobsokha Yuwakha Zhika, སྤུ་ན་ཁ་རྫོང་ཁག་, འབྲུགཡུལ་.
Choedrak Monastery
Gyaltsa, Bumthang District, Bhutan
Choedrak Monastery is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 27.53398, 90.68707. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Buddhism. Associated figure: Guru Rinpoche. Mythological context: Buddhist. Choedrak Monastery is a Buddhist monastery in Bhutan, located at an altitude of 3,800 metres, not far from Tharpaling Monastery in Bumthang District. Guru Rinpoche is said to have meditated at this spot. It is 37 kilometers from Chamkhar and takes one hour to reach from the motorable road end at Tharpaling monastery. Choedrak Goenpa can also be reached after three-hour hike from Lamey Goenpa in Choekhor Valley. It is one of the four sacred cliffs of Guru Rinpoche in Bumthang. The other three are Kunzangdrak, Shukdrak and Thowadrak. Located in Gyaltsa, བུམ་ཐང་རྫོང་ཁག་, འབྲུགཡུལ་.
Choeje Dra Monastery
Gyaltsa, Bumthang District, Bhutan
Choeje Dra Monastery is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 27.53390, 90.68731. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Buddhist. Located in Gyaltsa, བུམ་ཐང་རྫོང་ཁག་, འབྲུགཡུལ་.
Chrysoskalitissa Monastery
Chrisoskalitissa, Region of Crete, Greece
Chrysoskalitissa Monastery is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 35.31125, 23.53327. Attributes: built, cultural. Tradition: Eastern Orthodox Christian. Chrysoskalitissa Monastery (Greek: Μονή Χρυσοσκαλιτίσσης) is a 17th-century Eastern Orthodox Christian monastery located on the southwest coast of the island of Crete, Greece. Within the municipal district of Innachori of the municipality of Kissamos, the monastery lies about 72 kilometres southwest of Chania. Built up on rocks 35 metres above the water, it overlooks the Libyan Sea. Located in Δήμος Κισσάμου, Αποκεντρωμένη Διοίκηση Κρήτης, Ελλάς.
Cozia Monastery, Romania
Calimanesti, Vâlcea, Romania
Cozia Monastery, Romania is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 45.27168, 24.31572. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Christianity. Located in Călimănești, Vâlcea, Romania.
Crasna Monastery, Romania
Schiulești, Prahova, Romania
Crasna Monastery, Romania is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 45.29545, 25.92650. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Located in Izvoarele, Prahova, Romania.
Csiksomlyo Monastery, Miercurea Ciuc, Romania
Miercurea Ciuc, Harghita, Romania
Csiksomlyo Monastery, Miercurea Ciuc, Romania is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 46.37863, 25.82501. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Christianity. Associated figure: Virgin Mary. Located in Miercurea Ciuc, Harghita, Romania.
Curtea De Arges Monastery, Romania
Curtea de Argeș, Argeș, Romania
Curtea De Arges Monastery, Romania is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 45.15678, 24.67537. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Located in Curtea de Argeș, Argeș, Romania.
Debre Libanos
ላሊበላ / Lalibela, Amhara Region, Ethiopia
Debre Libanos is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 12.03168, 39.04115. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo. Associated figure: Saint Tekle Haymanot. Debre Libanos (Amharic: ደብረ ሊባኖስ) is an Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo monastery, lying northwest of Addis Ababa in the North Shewa Zone of the Oromia Region. It was founded in 1284 by Saint Tekle Haymanot as Debre Atsbo and was renamed as Debre Libanos in the 15th century. He prayed in a cave above the current monastery for 29 years. The monastery s chief abbot, called the Ichege, was the second most powerful official in the Ethiopian Church after the Abuna. The monastery complex sits on a terrace between a cliff and the gorge of one of the tributaries of the Abbay River (the Blue Nile). None of the original buildings of Debre Libanos survive, although David Buxton suspected there are interesting things still to be found among the neighbouring cliffs . Current buildings include the church over Tekle Haymanot s tomb, which Emperor Haile Selassie ordered constructed in 1961; a slightly older Church of the Cross, where Buxton was told a fragment of the True Cross is preserved; and five religious schools. The cave where the saint lived is in the nearby cliffs, which one travel guide describes as a five-minute walk away. This cave contains a spring, whose water is considered holy and is the object of pilgrimages. Located in አማራ ክልል Amhara أمحرة, ኢትዮጵያ إثيوبيا.
Deir el Qaddis Antwan
Monastery of Saint Anthony, Red Sea, Egypt
Deir el Qaddis Antwan is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 28.92592, 32.34903. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Christianity. Associated figure: St. Anthony. Located in البحر الأحمر, Egypt.
Deir Mari Bolos
Red Sea, Egypt
Deir Mari Bolos is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 28.84618, 32.55159. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Christianity. Associated figure: St. Paul. Located in البحر الأحمر, Egypt.
Demchig Hiid Monastery
Khanbogd, Ömnögovi, Mongolia
Demchig Hiid Monastery is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 43.12859, 107.12716. Attributes: built, cultural. Located in Өмнөговь ᠡᠮᠦᠨᠡᠭᠣᠪᠢ, Монгол улс ᠮᠤᠩᠭᠤᠯ ᠤᠯᠤᠰ.
Dintr Un Lemn Monastery, Romania
Dezrobiți, Vâlcea, Romania
Dintr Un Lemn Monastery, Romania is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 45.02520, 24.17991. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Christian. Located in Frâncești, Vâlcea, Romania.
Diskit Gompa, Ladakh
Diskit, Ladakh, India
Diskit Gompa, Ladakh is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 34.54096, 77.56069. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Buddhism. Associated figure: Maitreya Buddha. Located in Ladakh, India.
Djurdjevi Stupovi Monastery
Boturovina, Central Serbia, Serbia
Djurdjevi Stupovi Monastery is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 43.16611, 20.49770. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Located in Град Нови Пазар, Централна Србија, Србија.
Dubdi Monastery
Yuksom, Sikkim, India
Dubdi Monastery is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 27.36655, 88.22999. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Buddhist. Dubdi Monastery, occasionally called Yuksom Monastery, is a Buddhist monastery of the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism near Yuksom, in the Geyzing subdivision of West Sikkim district, in eastern India. The Chogyar Namgyal established the first monastery known as the Dubdi Monastery in 1701, at Yuksom in Sikkim, which is part of Buddhist religious pilgrimage circuit involving the Norbugang Chorten, Pemayangtse Monastery, the Rabdentse ruins, the Sanga Choeling Monastery, the Khecheopalri Lake and the Tashiding Monastery. Established in 1701, it is professed to be the oldest monastery in Sikkim and is located on the top of a hill which is about an hour s walk (3 kilometres (1.9 mi)) from Yuksom. It was also known as the Hermit s Cell after its ascetic founder Lhatsun Namkha Jigme, who along with two other lamas from Tibet met at Norbugang near Yuksom and crowned Phuntsog Namgyal as the first King or Chogyal of Sikkim at Norbugang Yuksom in 1642. The literal meaning of Dubdi in local language is the retreat . Located in Sikkim, India.
Einsiedeln Abbey
Einsiedeln, Schwyz, Switzerland
Einsiedeln is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 47.12679, 8.75264. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Christianity. Einsiedeln (German pronunciation: [ˈaɪnziːdl̩n]) is a municipality and district in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland known for its monastery, the Benedictine Einsiedeln Abbey, established in the 10th century. Located in Einsiedeln, Schwyz, Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera/Svizra.
Erdene Zuu Monastery
Kharkhorin, Övörkhangai Province, Mongolia
Erdene Zuu Monastery is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 47.20154, 102.84333. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage, ceremonial. Tradition: Buddhism. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Erdene Zuu Monastery (Mongolian: Эрдэнэ Зуу хийд, romanized: Erdene Zuu khiid) is probably the earliest surviving Buddhist monastery in Mongolia. Located in Kharkhorin, Övörkhangai Province, it is part of the Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape World Heritage Site. The monastery is affiliated with the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Located in Хархорин ᠬᠠᠷᠠᠬᠣᠷᠢᠨ, Өвөрхангай ᠥᠪᠦᠷᠬᠠᠩᠭ᠋ᠠᠢ, Монгол улс ᠮᠤᠩᠭᠤᠯ ᠤᠯᠤᠰ.
Eski Gumus
Niğde, Niğde, Turkey
Eski Gumus is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 37.99666, 34.77125. Attributes: built, cultural, archaeological. Located in Niğde Merkez, İç Anadolu Bölgesi, Turkey.
Eski Gumus Monastery, Nigde, Turkey
Niğde, Niğde, Turkey
Eski Gumus Monastery, Nigde, Turkey is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 37.99666, 34.77125. Attributes: built, cultural, archaeological. Located in Niğde Merkez, İç Anadolu Bölgesi, Turkey.
Gandantegchinlen Monastery
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Gandantegchinlen Monastery is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 47.92321, 106.89506. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage, ceremonial. Tradition: Buddhism. Associated figure: Avalokiteśvara. Gandantegchinlen Monastery (Mongolian: Гандантэгчэнлин хийд, Gandantegchenlin khiid), also known as Gandan Monastery, is a Buddhist monastery in Bayangol District, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. It was founded in 1809, closed amid persecutions in 1939, and from 1944 to 1989 was the country s only active monastery. Today, it is the center of Buddhism in Mongolia. The monastery has more than 100 resident monks and numerous Buddhist treasures, including a 26-metre (85 ft) statue of Avalokiteśvara made of gilded bronze and precious stones. Located in Улан-Батор, Монгол улс ᠮᠤᠩᠭᠤᠯ ᠤᠯᠤᠰ.
Ganden Monastery
Lhasa, Tibet, China
Ganden Monastery is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 29.75866, 91.47620. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage, ceremonial. Tradition: Buddhist. Associated figure: Je Tsongkhapa Lozang-dragpa. Ganden Monastery (also Gaden or Gandain) or Ganden Namgyeling or Monastery of Gahlden is one of the great three Gelug university monasteries located in Dagzê County, Lhasa, Tibet. The other two are Sera Monastery and Drepung Monastery. Ganden Monastery was founded in 1409 by Je Tsongkhapa Lozang-dragpa, founder of the Gelug order. The monastery was destroyed after 1959, but has since been partially rebuilt. Another monastery with the same name and tradition was established in Southern India in 1966 by Tibetan exiles. Located in 拉萨市 ལྷ་ས་གྲོང་ཁྱེར།, 西藏自治区 བོད་རང་སྐྱོང་ལྗོངས།, China.
Gangteng Monastery
Gangteng, Wangdue Phodrang District, Bhutan
Gangteng Monastery is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 27.48478, 90.16474. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage, ceremonial. Tradition: Buddhism. Associated figure: Pema Lingpa. Mythological context: Tibetan Buddhism. Gangteng Monastery (Dzongkha: སྒང་སྟེང་དགོན་པ ), also known as Gangtey Gonpa or Gangtey Monastery, is a monastery of Nyingmapa school of Tibetan Buddhism, the main seat of the Pema Lingpa tradition, located in the Wangdue Phodrang District in central Bhutan. The monastery, also known by the Gangtey village that surrounds it, is in the Phobjikha Valley where the black-necked cranes visit in winters to roost. The black-necked cranes circle the monastery three times on arrival and repeat when returning to Tibet. The monastery s history traces to the early 17th century and back to the prophecies made by the terton (treasure finder) Pema Lingpa in the late 15th century. The monastery is one of the main seats of the religious tradition based on Pema Lingpa s revelations and one of the two main centres of the Nyingmapa school of Buddhism in the country. A Nyingma monastic college or shedra, Do-ngag Tösam Rabgayling, has been established above the village. The descent of the first king of Bhutan, Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuck of the Wangchuck Dynasty of Bhutan, which continues to rule Bhutan is traced to the clan of the Dungkhar Choje, a subsidiary of the clan of Khouchung Choje whose founder was Kunga Wangpo, the fourth son of Pema Lingpa. Located in Gangteng, དབང་འདུས་ཕོ་བྲང་རྫོང་ཁག་, འབྲུགཡུལ་.
Geghard Monastery
Goght, Kotayk Province, Armenia
Geghard Monastery is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 40.14029, 44.81787. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Christianity. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located in Կոտայքի մարզ, Հայաստան.
Gelati Monastery
Kutaisi, Imereti, Georgia
Founded in 1106 by King David IV as both monastery and academy, Gelati rises on a wooded hillside above the Tskaltsitela River as the spiritual and intellectual heart of Georgia's Golden Age. For nine centuries, monks have maintained an unbroken chain of prayer here, interrupted only during Soviet rule. Today, Orthodox liturgy continues within walls that hold some of the finest medieval Byzantine art east of Constantinople.
Gishen
Amhara Region, Ethiopia
Gishen is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 11.52037, 39.36077. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Associated figure: Maryam. Located in አማራ ክልል Amhara أمحرة, ኢትዮጵያ إثيوبيا.
Glendalough
County Wicklow, The Municipal District of Wicklow, Ireland
Glendalough is a monastery and round tower of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 53.01052, -6.32700. Attributes: built, natural, cultural, archaeological. Tradition: Christianity. Associated figure: St Kevin. Glendalough (; Irish: Gleann Dá Loch, meaning valley of two lakes ) is a glacial valley in County Wicklow, Ireland, renowned for an Early Medieval monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by St Kevin. From 1825 to 1957, the head of the Glendalough Valley was the site of a galena lead mine. Glendalough is also a recreational area for picnics, for walking along networks of maintained trails of varying difficulty, and also for rock climbing. Located in The Municipal District of Wicklow, Éire / Ireland.
Gonjang Monastery, Sikkim
Penlong, Sikkim, India
Gonjang Monastery, Sikkim is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 27.36907, 88.61319. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Buddhism. Located in Gangtok, Sikkim, India.
Gračanica Monastery
Gračanica, Kosovo
Gračanica Monastery is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 42.59848, 21.19349. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Serbian Orthodox. Associated figure: King Stefan Milutin. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Gračanica Monastery (Serbian: Манастир Грачаница, romanized: Manastir Gračanica; Albanian: Manastiri i Graçanicës) is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in Kosovo. It was built by the Serbian king Stefan Milutin in 1321. The monastery was declared a Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1990, and on 13 July 2006 it was placed on UNESCO s World Heritage List under the name of Medieval Monuments in Kosovo as an extension of the Visoki Dečani site, which was overall placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Gračanica Monastery is one of King Milutin s last monumental endowments. The monastery is located in Gračanica, a Serbian enclave in the close vicinity of Lipjan, the old residence of bishops of Lipljan. Located in Gračanica, Kosova / Kosovo.
Haghartsin
Tavush Province, Armenia
Haghartsin is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 40.80167, 44.89111. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Located in Տավուշի մարզ, Հայաստան.
Hemis Gompa, Ladakh
Tanglakpurna, Ladakh, India
Hemis Gompa, Ladakh is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 33.91260, 77.70297. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Buddhism. Located in Ladakh, India.
Holy Trinity Monastery, Pljevlja
Pljevlja Municipality, Opština Pljevlja, Montenegro
Holy Trinity Monastery, Pljevlja is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 43.36985, 19.35841. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Christianity. Associated figure: Holy Trinity. Located in Opština Pljevlja, Crna Gora / Црна Гора.
Hronsky Beňadik, Benedictine Monastery
Hronský Beňadik, Region of Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
Hronsky Beňadik, Benedictine Monastery is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 48.34473, 18.55764. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Christianity. Associated figure: Saint Benedict. Located in Hronský Beňadik, Banskobystrický kraj, Slovensko.
Hurezi (Horezu) Monastery
Romanii de Jos, Vâlcea, Romania
Hurezi Monastery, Romania is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 45.16990, 24.00730. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located in Horezu, Vâlcea, Romania.
Iona
The Village, Scotland, United Kingdom
Iona is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 56.33505, -6.39150. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Christianity. Associated figure: Saint Columba. Iona (; Scottish Gaelic: Ì Chaluim Chille [ˈiː ˈxal̪ˠɪm ˈçiʎə] , sometimes simply Ì) is an island in the Inner Hebrides, off the Ross of Mull on the western coast of Scotland. It is mainly known for Iona Abbey, though there are other buildings on the island. Iona Abbey was a centre of Gaelic monasticism for three centuries and is today known for its relative tranquility and natural environment. It is a tourist destination and a place for spiritual retreats. Its modern Scottish Gaelic name means Iona of (Saint) Columba (formerly anglicised as Icolmkill ). In 2019, Iona s estimated population was 120. In March 1980, the Hugh Fraser Foundation donated much of the main island (and its off-lying islands) to the current owner, the National Trust for Scotland. The abbey and some church buildings are owned by the Iona Cathedral Trust. One publication, describing the religious significance of the island, says that the island is known as the birthplace of Celtic Christianity in Scotland,” and notes that “St Columba came here in the year 563 to establish the Abbey, which still stands . Located in Alba / Scotland, United Kingdom.
Izamal
Izamal, Yucatán, Mexico
Izamal is a maya site and franciscan monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 20.93246, -89.01840. Attributes: built, cultural, archaeological. Tradition: Maya and Franciscan. Associated figure: San Antonio de Padua. Izamal (Spanish: [isaˈmal] ) is a small city in the Mexican state of Yucatán, 72 kilometres (45 mi) east of state capital Mérida, in southern Mexico. Izamal was continuously occupied throughout most of Mesoamerican chronology; in 2000, the city s estimated population was 15,000 people. Izamal is known in Yucatán as the Yellow City (most of its buildings are painted yellow) and the City of Hills (that actually are the remains of ancient temple pyramids). Located in Izamal, Yucatán, Mexico.
Jampa Lhakhang
Dawathang_Dorjibi_ Kashingtsawa, Bumthang District, Bhutan
Jampa Lhakhang is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 27.57536, 90.73353. Attributes: built, cultural. Tradition: Buddhist. Located in Dawathang_Dorjibi_ Kashingtsawa, བུམ་ཐང་རྫོང་ཁག་, འབྲུགཡུལ་.
Jasna Góra Monastery
Częstochowa, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland
Jasna Gora rises from the Polish plains as one of Christianity's most visited pilgrimage sites. For over six centuries, the Black Madonna of Czestochowa has drawn millions who kneel before her scarred face, seeking what the icon is said to offer: intercession, healing, and the presence that has protected Poland through invasion, partition, and oppression. The fortress-monastery stands as it stood in 1655, when a handful of defenders held against a Swedish army and a nation found its spiritual center.
Jetavana Monastery, Shravasti, Uttar Pradesh
Sravasti, Uttar Pradesh, India
Jetavana Monastery, Shravasti, Uttar Pradesh is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 27.50856, 82.03939. Attributes: built, cultural, archaeological, pilgrimage. Tradition: Buddhism. Associated figure: Buddha. Located in Uttar Pradesh, India.
Karsha Gompa, Ladakh
Yulang, Ladakh, India
Karsha Gompa, Ladakh is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 33.53290, 76.90506. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Buddhist. Located in Ladakh, India.
Kells
Kells, The Municipal District of Kells, Ireland
Kells is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 53.72726, -6.88003. Attributes: built, cultural, archaeological. Kells may refer to: Located in The Municipal District of Kells, Éire / Ireland.
Khor Virap
Ararat Province, Armenia
Khor Virap is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 39.87835, 44.57625. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Christianity. Associated figure: St. Gregory. Mythological context: Christian. Khor Virap (Armenian: Խոր Վիրապ, lit. deep dungeon ) is an Armenian monastery located in the Ararat Plain in Armenia, near the border with Turkey, about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) south of Artashat, Ararat Province, within the territory of ancient Artaxata. The monastery was host to a theological seminary and was the residence of the Armenian Catholicos. Khor Virap s notability as a monastery and pilgrimage site is attributed to the fact that Gregory the Illuminator was initially imprisoned here for 13 years by King Tiridates III of Armenia. Saint Gregory subsequently became the king s religious mentor, and they led the proselytizing activity in the country. In the year 301, Armenia was the first country in the world to be declared a Christian nation. A chapel was initially built in 642 at the site of Khor Virap by Nerses III the Builder as a mark of veneration to Saint Gregory. Over the centuries, it was repeatedly rebuilt. In 1662, the larger chapel known as the St. Astvatsatsin (Holy Mother of God) was built around the ruins of the old chapel, the monastery, the refectory and the cells of the monks. Regular church services are held in this church. It is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in Armenia. Located in Արարատի մարզ, Հայաստան.
Kilmacduagh
County Galway, Loughrea Municipal District, Ireland
Kilmacduagh is a monastery and round tower of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 53.04796, -8.88777. Attributes: built, cultural, archaeological. Tradition: Christianity. Kilmacduagh (Irish: Cill Mhic Dhuach, meaning church of Duach s son ) is a small village in south County Galway, Ireland, near Gort. The village is in a townland and civil parish of the same name, in Kiltartan barony. It is the site of Kilmacduagh monastery, seat of the Diocese of that name. The diocese is now part of the Diocese of Galway and Kilmacduagh in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Diocese of Tuam, Limerick and Killaloe in the Church of Ireland. The former cathedral is now a ruin. The Round Tower sits beside the cathedral and is from the 11th or 12 century. At 112 feet it is the tallest tower in Ireland. The towers bell is said to lie at the bottom of a nearby lake. The village is 5 km (3 mi) to the south-west of Gort via the R460 road. Located in Loughrea Municipal District, Éire / Ireland.
Kostroma
Kostroma, Kostroma Oblast, Russia
Kostroma is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 57.77710, 40.89430. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Orthodox Christianity. Kostroma (Russian: Кострома́, IPA: [kəstrɐˈma]) is a historic city and the administrative center of Kostroma Oblast, Russia. A part of the Golden Ring of Russian cities, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Volga and Kostroma. In the 2021 census, the population is 267,481. Located in Кострома, Костромская область, Russia.
Kurje Monastery
Dawathang_Dorjibi_ Kashingtsawa, Bumthang District, Bhutan
Kurje Monastery is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 27.58711, 90.73027. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Buddhist. Associated figure: Guru Rinpoche. Mythological context: Buddhist mythology. Located in Dawathang_Dorjibi_ Kashingtsawa, བུམ་ཐང་རྫོང་ཁག་, འབྲུགཡུལ་.
Kyichu Monastery
Satsam, Paro District, Bhutan
Kyichu Monastery is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 27.44114, 89.37550. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Buddhism. Located in སྤ་རོ་རྫོང་ཁག་, འབྲུགཡུལ་.
Lamayuru Gompa, Ladakh
Lamayuru, India
Lamayuru Gompa, Ladakh is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 34.28301, 76.77419. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Buddhist. Located in India.
Lapchi
Tingri County, Tibet, China
Lapchi is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 28.22455, 86.80023. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Buddhist. Associated figure: Milarepa. Mythological context: Buddhist. Located in 定日县 དིང་རི་རྫོང།, 西藏自治区 བོད་རང་སྐྱོང་ལྗོངས།, China.
Likir Gompa, Ladakh
Ladakh, India
Likir Gompa, Ladakh is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 34.29320, 77.21511. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Buddhism. Located in Ladakh, India.
Lingdum Monastery
Gangtok, Sikkim, India
Lingdum Monastery is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 27.33269, 88.57713. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage, ceremonial. Tradition: Buddhist. Lingdum Monastery (also Ranka Lingdum or Pal Zurmang Kagyud Monastery) is a Buddhist monastery near Ranka in Sikkim, North East India, about an hour s drive from Gangtok. It was completed in 1999. It follows the Zurmang Kagyu tradition. Located in Gangtok, Sikkim, India.
Maria Radna Monastery and Church, Romania
Lipova, Arad, Romania
Maria Radna Monastery and Church, Romania is a monastery and church of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 46.09934, 21.68610. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Christianity. Associated figure: Virgin Mary. Located in Lipova, Arad, Romania.
Matho Gompa, Ladakh
Chushot Shamma, Ladakh, India
Matho Gompa, Ladakh is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 33.99907, 77.63097. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Buddhism. Located in Ladakh, India.
Monastero di Santa Scolastica
Subiaco, Latium, Italia
Monastero di Santa Scolastica in Subiaco, Latium, Italia.
Sacro Speco di San Benedetto
Subiaco, Latium, Italia
Sacro Speco di San Benedetto in Subiaco, Latium, Italia.
Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mt. Sinai
Saint Catherine, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt
Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mt. Sinai in Saint Catherine, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt.
Saint-Sophia Cathedral, Kiev
Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
Kiev is a monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 50.43464, 30.55726. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Christianity. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located in Київ, Україна.
Sanctuary in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Lesser Poland, Poland
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is a basilica and monastery of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 49.86021, 19.67158. Attributes: built, cultural, pilgrimage. Tradition: Christianity. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kalwaria Zebrzydowska (Polish pronunciation: [kalˈvarja zɛbʐɨˈdɔfska]) is a town in southern Poland with 4,429 inhabitants (2007 estimate). As of 1999, it is situated in Lesser Poland or Małopolska (in Polish). Previously, the town was administered within the Voivodeship of Bielsko-Biała (1975–1998). Located in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, województwo małopolskie, Poland.
Sanctuary of Montevergine
Mercogliano, Campania, Italy
Sanctuary of Montevergine in Mercogliano, Campania, Italy.
Sase Monastery
Srebrenica, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sase Monastery in Srebrenica, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina.