| Online: | |
| Visits: | |
| Stories: |
Top 10 Bizarre Places for Monasteries
Monasticism is an important institution in many religions, including in Buddhism and Christianity. In part for defense, and in part to facilitate the process of detachment from worldly concerns, monasteries were often built in highly remote (precarious) and in areas that were inaccessible to humans.
Here are The Rich Ten’s picks of 10 beautiful, precariously-situated monasteries around the world. Simply unworldly if you ask me.
10. The Monastery Of Ostrog, Montenegro
This Serbian Orthodox Church is located in the rock face of Ostroška Greda—carved out of the stone. It is one of the most visited pilgrimage site in Montenegro. Founded by Vasilije, the Metropolitan Bishop of Herzegovina in the 17th century, the bishop is enshrined here, in the cave-church. One of the reasons for the large amount of visits is that people believe praying near the body of Vasilije can cure their ailments, or at the very least, have the difficulties of life reduced.
The Monastery can be easily reached from Podgorica and Niksic. The last few kilometres are best traveled in a local taxi, due to the sharp corners as the road meanders up the mountain.
9. Metéora, Greece
Metéor, which translates to “middle of the sky”, is high up on a sandstone pillar in the Plain of Thessaly in central Greece. The Eastern Orthodox monastery is a UNESCO WorldHeritage site with perhaps the great story of origin to be told. Fable has it that the founder of the monastery, St. Athanasius, didn’t need to climb the rock face to plonk his religious flag in the sandstone: instead, he was carried there by an eagle.
For most humble visitors however, carved steps are the only way to get to the top. Before the 1920s, most people had to use ropes and pulleys to climb to the top, and when it was built in the 14th century, ladders and nets were used to transport the materials over the 550-meter (1,800-ft) drop. The monastery is also famous for being featured in theJames Bond movie, For Your Eyes Only.
The climate in the region varies greatly according to the time of year. It may be sweltering during summertime, but extremely cold in wintertime. Rainfall is generally heavy all year round, especially at higher altitudes, but the driest time of the year is during summer.
8. Buddhist Monastery Of Ki, India
This monastery looks like a place taken out of Lord of the Rings. It is located in Ki Village, in the Himalayas. The Tibetan Buddhist monastery is on top of a hill at an altitude of 4,166 meters (13,670 ft) above sea level overlooking the Spiti Valley. It is a religious training center for Lamas and has been the center of attacks by the Mongols and other armies in the past. The road to Ki Monastery further leads to the Kibber village.
7. Takshtang Monastery (Tiger’s Nest), Bhutan
Taktshang, which is the most famous of the monasteries in all of Bhutan, is located on a 3,120 meter cliff and is more than 700 meters above the Paro valley. According to the legend related to this Taktsang (which in Tibetan language is spelt (stag tshang) which literally means “Tiger’s lair”, it is believed that Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) flew to this location from Tibet on the back of a tigress from Khenpajong.The place was consecrated to tame the Tiger demon. There are a total of seven temples in the monastery, all of which can be visited and seen, though visitors must either climb to the monastery by foot or take a ride on a mule.
6. Sümela Monastery, Turkey
Sümela is a 1,600-year-old ancient Orthodox monastery, constructed on rocks reached by taking a winding stone stairway through a nearby forest, located 1,200 meters (3,900 ft) up in Turkey’s Altindere Valley. Officially abandoned in the 1920s, the monastery now acts as a museum and popular tourist attraction. However, in 2010, an Orthodox Mass was held for the first time since it closed. The Sümela houses a few chapels, a kitchen, and the awesomely named Rock Church. Many of the frescoes of the monastery are seriously damaged. The main subject of the frescoes are biblical scenes telling the story of Christ and the Virgin Mary.
Read More
Related Posts
