The Monastery of Saint John the Theologian (also called Monastery of Saint John the Divine) is a Greek Orthodox monastery founded in 1088 in

Chora Chora may refer to: Places Greece ''Chora'' (meaning "Town" in Greek), is often used as the name of the main town on an island, following the common practice in Greece when the name of the island itself is the same as the name of the principal ...

on the island of Patmos. It is named after

St. John of Patmos John of Patmos (also called John the Revelator, John the Divine, John the Theologian) is the name traditionally given to the author of the Book of Revelation. The text of Revelation states that John was on Patmos, a Greek island where, according ...

, the author of the Christian Book of Revelation who, according to the text, lived on the island when visions of the apocalypse came to him. Since its founding, the monastery has been a pilgrimage site and a place of Greek Orthodox learning and worship. The monastery is unique in that it integrated from its founding the surrounding community of Chora, which was built around its fortifications. Religious ceremonies that date back to the early Christian period are still practiced within the monastery today. Because of its sacred significance, uninterrupted architectural evolution, and the exceptional preservation of early Christian customs, the monastery was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, along with the town of Chora and the nearby

Cave of the Apocalypse The Cave of the Apocalypse ( el, Σπηλαιο Αποκαλυψης, ) is located approximately halfway up the mountain on the Aegean island of Patmos, along the road between the villages of Chóra and Skala. This grotto marks the spot where, ...

History

In 1088, Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos gave the island of Patmos to the soldier-priest

John Christodoulos John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Seco ...

. The greater part of the monastery was completed by Christodoulos three years later. He heavily fortified the exterior because of the threats of piracy and Seljuk Turks. The oldest parts of the monastery are the Katholikón (main church) and the refectory, dating from the 11th century. The Katholikón has the typical shape of a Byzantine church, with a domed cross-in-square style. The floor is elaborately carved out of marble is '' opus sectile'' style, and has wall paintings and frescoes dating to the Middle Ages. A two-storied arcade on the south side of the monastery was built in 1698. At least 330 manuscripts are housed in the library (267 on parchment), including 82 manuscripts of the New Testament. Minuscules: 1160–1181, 1385–1389, 1899, 1901, 1966, 2001–2002, 2080–2081, 2297, 2464–2468, 2639, 2758, 2504, 2639, and lectionaries. As of 2012, 40 monks reside at the monastery. The monastery has, amongst its relics, the skull of Saint Thomas the Apostle.

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External links

Virtual tour of the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian
provided by

Google Arts & Culture Google Arts & Culture (formerly Google Art Project) is an online platform of high-resolution images and videos of artworks and cultural artifacts from partner cultural organizations throughout the world. It utilizes high-resolution image technol ...

* Byzantine sacred architecture

Saint John the Theologian John the Apostle ( grc, Ἰωάννης; la, Ioannes ; Geʽez, Ge'ez: ዮሐንስ;) or Saint John the Beloved was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Generally listed as the youngest apostle, he was the son of Ze ...

World Heritage Sites in Greece Christian mysticism Christian monasteries established in the 11th century Patmos Buildings and structures in the South Aegean Byzantine architecture in Greece Byzantine monasteries in Greece {{Greece-christian-monastery-stub

History

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