Principal Monasteries of the Middle East and Holy Land

• Monastery of Saint Catherine – Sinai. The oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery in the world.
• Great Lavra of Saint Sabbas (Mar Saba) – Judean Desert, Palestine. The most important monastery of the Holy Land.
• Monastery of Saint George of Choziba – Wadi Qelt, Palestine. One of the principal desert monasteries of the Judean wilderness.
• Monastery of the Holy Cross – Jerusalem. Historic monastery closely connected with Georgian and Greek Orthodoxy.
• Monastery of Saint Theodosius – near Bethlehem. One of the oldest monasteries of Palestine.
• Monastery of Our Lady of Balamand – Lebanon. Principal Orthodox monastery of Lebanon and the Patriarchate of Antioch.
• Monastery of Saint George al-Humayra – Syria. One of the principal Orthodox monasteries of Syria.

Jerusalem and Palestine

• Great Lavra of Saint Sabbas (Mar Saba) – Judean Desert. The foremost monastery of Palestine and one of the most important in the Orthodox world.
• Monastery of Saint George of Choziba – Wadi Qelt. Ancient cliff monastery in the Judean Desert.
• Monastery of the Holy Cross – Jerusalem. Historic monastery associated with the True Cross tradition.
• Monastery of Saint Theodosius – near Bethlehem. Ancient cenobitic monastery.
• Monastery of the Temptation – Jericho. Historic monastery on the Mount of Temptation.
• Monastery of the Shepherds’ Field – Bethlehem region. Orthodox monastery associated with the Nativity tradition.
• Monastery of Saint Gerasimus – Jordan Valley. Ancient desert monastery.
• Monastery of the Forty Martyrs – Jerusalem. Traditional monastery of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Jordan and Sinai

• Monastery of Saint Catherine – Sinai Peninsula. The oldest and most famous monastery of the Christian East.
• Monastery of Saint John the Baptist – Jordan River region. Orthodox monastery associated with the baptism of Christ.
• Monastery of Saint Gerasimus – near the Jordan River. Ancient monastery of the Judean Desert tradition.
• Monastery of Mount Nebo – Jordan. Monastic community near the traditional site of Moses’ death.

Lebanon

• Monastery of Our Lady of Balamand – northern Lebanon. The principal Orthodox monastery of Lebanon.
• Monastery of Saint George – Mount Lebanon. Historic monastery of the Patriarchate of Antioch.
• Monastery of Saint John of Douma – Lebanon. Important monastery in the mountains of northern Lebanon.
• Monastery of Saint Elias – Lebanon. Orthodox monastery associated with the Antiochian tradition.
• Convent of Saint James – Lebanon. Major women’s monastery of the Lebanese Orthodox Church.

Syria and Iraq

• Monastery of Saint George al-Humayra – Syria. One of the principal Orthodox monasteries of Syria.
• Monastery of Saint Thekla – Maaloula, Syria. Historic women’s monastery built around the cave of Saint Thekla.
• Monastery of Our Lady of Saidnaya – Syria. Ancient and internationally famous convent near Damascus.
• Monastery of Saint Moses the Abyssinian (Deir Mar Musa) – Syria. Historic monastery in the Syrian desert.
• Monastery of Saint Sergius and Bacchus – Syria. Ancient monastery associated with early Syrian Christianity.
• Monastery of Saint Matthew – Iraq. Ancient monastery near Mosul and one of the oldest monasteries in Mesopotamia.
• Monastery of Rabban Hormizd – Iraq. Historic monastery of northern Mesopotamia.

Female Monasteries and Convents of Special Importance

• Monastery of Saint Thekla – Maaloula, Syria. One of the most important Orthodox convents in the Middle East.
• Monastery of Our Lady of Saidnaya – Syria. Principal women’s monastery of Syria.
• Convent of Saint James – Lebanon. Major Orthodox women’s monastery of Lebanon.
• Convent of the Annunciation – Jerusalem. Important women’s monastery of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
• Convent of Saint Mary Magdalene – Jerusalem. Historic women’s monastery on the Mount of Olives.

Observations

• The monasteries of the Holy Land preserve the oldest continuous Orthodox monastic tradition in the world.
• Mar Saba and Saint Catherine remain the two greatest monastic centres of the Christian East.
• The monasteries of Syria and Lebanon preserve the Antiochian Orthodox tradition and some of the oldest Christian communities in existence.
• Many monasteries in Syria and Iraq have suffered severe damage in recent decades but continue to function or are being restored.
• Among the best-known monasteries internationally are Saint Catherine, Mar Saba, Saint George of Choziba, Saidnaya, Balamand, and Saint Thekla.