Monastery of Saint John the Theologian
Historic Centre (Chorá) with the Monastery of Saint John "the Theologian" and the Cave of the Apocalypse on the Island of Pátmos | |
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Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List | |
Type | Religious and Cultural |
Criteria | iii, iv, vi |
Reference | 942 |
UNESCO region | Europe and North America |
Coordinates | 37°18′33.08″N 26°32′52.99″E / 37.3091889°N 26.5480528°E |
Inscription history | |
Inscription | 1999 (23rd Session) |
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 on the island of Patmos. UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage site.[1] It is named after St. John of Patmos.
History
In 1088, Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos gave the island of Patmos to the soldier-priest John Christodoulos. 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.[2]
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.[3]
As of 2012, 40 monks reside here. The monastery has, amongst its relics, the skull of Saint Thomas the Apostle.[4]
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ UNESCO, World Heritage Site #942, webpage:WHC-UNESCO-942.
- ↑ "Monastery of St. John, Patmos". July 20, 2010. Retrieved 13 December 2010.
- ↑ Manuscripts by place at the INTF.
- ↑ http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2010/10/skull-of-holy-apostle-thomas-in-patmos.html
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