An ancient monastery built like a fortress on a rock above the town, visited by people from everywhere. Tradition credits Emperor Justinian with founding it in the 6th century.
History
Our Lady of Saidnaya Patriarchal Monastery is a monastery of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch located in Saidnaya, Syria. It is one of the most ancient monasteries in the world and in the region of the Middle East and North Africa, traditionally held to have been founded by Byzantine emperor Justinian I in 547 AD. It is run by a religious order of nuns. It is an important pilgrimage site for Christians, who visit an icon of Saint Mary which is attributed to Saint Luke.









