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Name↕ | Country↕ | Tradition↕ | Founded↕ | Elevation (m)↕ | Claim to Fame↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mont Saint-Michel | France | Benedictine (Catholic) | 8th century | 92 | Tidal island abbey; UNESCO site since 1979 |
Meteora (Holy Trinity) | Greece | Greek Orthodox | 14th century | 565 | Built atop towering sandstone pillars in Thessaly |
Taktsang (Tiger's Nest) | Bhutan | Vajrayana Buddhism | 1692 | 3,120 | Cliffside complex 900m above the Paro Valley |
Saint Catherine's | Egypt | Greek Orthodox | 548 AD | 1,500 | World's oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery |
Mount Athos (Great Lavra) | Greece | Eastern Orthodox | 963 AD | 160 | Autonomous monastic republic; women forbidden for 1,000+ years |
Sumela Monastery | Turkey | Greek Orthodox | 386 AD | 1,200 | Carved into a sheer cliff face in the Pontic Mountains |
Ganden Monastery | Tibet (China) | Gelug Buddhism | 1409 | 4,300 | First Gelug monastery; founded by Tsongkhapa himself |
Monte Cassino | Italy | Benedictine (Catholic) | 529 AD | 519 | Founding site of the Benedictine order; rebuilt after WWII bombing |
Hemis Monastery | India (Ladakh) | Drukpa Kagyu Buddhism | 1672 | 3,505 | Largest and wealthiest monastery in Ladakh |
Santa Maria de Montserrat | Spain | Benedictine (Catholic) | 1025 | 720 | Home of the Black Madonna; perched on serrated mountains |
Sera Monastery | Tibet (China) | Gelug Buddhism | 1419 | 3,700 | Famous for its public monk debates in the courtyard |
Rila Monastery | Bulgaria | Bulgarian Orthodox | 10th century | 1,147 | Largest Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria; UNESCO site |
Shaolin Monastery | China | Chan (Zen) Buddhism | 495 AD | 600 | Birthplace of Chan Buddhism and Shaolin kung fu |
Debre Damo | Ethiopia | Ethiopian Orthodox | 6th century | 2,216 | Reachable only by climbing a 15m rope up a sheer cliff |
Popa Taungkalat | Myanmar | Theravada Buddhism | Late 19th century | 737 | Built atop a volcanic plug; 777 steps to the summit |
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