MONASTERY
Our Lady of Saidnaya Patriarchal Monastery
Saidnaya · Greek Orthodox
A brief history
The Patriarchal Monastery of Our Lady of Saidnaya belongs to the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch and stands in the town of Saidnaya north of Damascus. It is among the most ancient monasteries in the world and in the Middle East, traditionally held to have been founded by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I in 547. It is run by an order of nuns.
An interesting detail
Pilgrims come for an icon of the Virgin Mary that tradition attributes to Saint Luke, one of several such icons venerated across the region.