Believed to be built in 547 by Byzantine emperor Justinian I, the Monastery of Our Lady of Sednayah is one of the oldest monasteries in the world. The monastery is currently maintained by a religious order of nuns and overlooks the small town of Sednayah. The religious outpost is about 34 kilometers north of Damascus. Inside the convent is an icon of St. Mary allegedly painted by St Luke.
August 3, 2019
Kamp-Lintfort, Germany
This Cistercian monastery was the first in the German-speaking world
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Seek out ‘The Devil’s Court’ in this concert venue located in a former monastery run by an order of Teutonic knights.
Tholey, Germany
Germany’s oldest monastery has origins dating back to the 7th century.
Rievaulx, England
This 11th-century Cistercian abbey was once seized by Henry VIII.
Azrou, Morocco
Set up in 1953, abandoned in 1978, and became a movie set in 2009.
Simalchaur Syampati, Nepal
This pilgrimage site was built to honor an incarnation of Buddha who sacrificed himself to save a tiger and her two cubs.
Bangkok, Thailand
Displaying religious art made almost exclusively in modern styles helps set this Buddhist temple apart from the myriad others in Bangkok.
Bârsana, Romania
The most impressive example of contemporary Romanian architecture in wood
