Eastern Orthodox Sites
For our purposes, the Eastern Orthodox category includes ancient Byzantine sites as well as churches, monasteries and sacred sites associated with Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox and other Orthodox churches. Below is an illustrated index of the 43 Eastern Orthodox Sites profiled on Sacred Destinations so far. For photo credits, please see corresponding articles.
The Agia Sophia is the largest and most famous Byzantine church in Thessaloniki, Greece. Built in the 8th century, it was modeled after the more famous 6th-century version in Istanbul.
Made famous by James Bond, this is perhaps the most dramatically positioned Meteora monastery. It is perched atop a slender pinnacle and accessible only by 140 steep steps.
Located on the Ancient Agora of Athens, this Byzantine church dates from the 10th century. It is one of the oldest churches in the city.
This little 14th-century monastery of the Meteora is approached by a relatively gentle path. Inside it features splendid frescoes by famed Cretan painter Theophanes the Monk.
This active nunnery in the Meteora contains an important relic: the head of St. Charalambos, whose powers include warding off illness.
The Church of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island is a ruined Armenian cathedral dating from 921 AD. Beautifully situated on Lake Van, the church is famed for its fascinating medieval sculptures.
Al-Bara (also called Bara) is the most extensive of the Dead Cities of northern Syria and one of the last to be abandoned. It held out as a bastion of Eastern Christianity until the arrival of the Crusaders in the 11th century.
The Basilica of St. John was built by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century over the traditional tomb of John the Evangelist. The site became a major pilgrimage destination in the Early Middle Ages.
Naxos Island has a remarkable abundance of Byzantine chapels, even by Greek island standards. Many of them contain exceptional frescoes from the 9th to the 15th centuries.
This is currently the only museum in the world entirely devoted to Byzantine art and civilization. Its impressive collection includes many Byzantine and early Christian frescoes, icons and artifacts.
The khram Khrista Spasitela may well be the largest Orthodox church in the world. The building is magnificent, but not as old as it looks: it was rebuilt in 2000 after the original was demolished by Stalin.
The walls, an arch, and the baptismal pool remain intact at the Church of Mary, possibly the first church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in the world and the site of the Council of Ephesus in 431.
Known for its golden onion domes that can be seen from afar, this Russian Orthodox Church was built in 1888 by Tzar Alexander III.
This is a major Christian holy site that marks the traditional place of Christ's birth. It is also one of the oldest surviving Christian churches, commissioned by Emperor Constantine.
This 11th-century Byzantine monastery and World Heritage Site is famed for the golden mosaics that cover its walls.
The Theotokos Church was built in 1292 and served as the headquarters of the Orthodox Patriarchate from 1456 to 1528. Five years later, it was converted into a mosque.
Cappadocia's most famous attraction, for good reason, is the Göreme Open Air Museum, a complex of medieval cave churches carved out and painted by Orthodox monks.
The most famous and important of the Meteora monasteries, Great Meteoron has a large church topped by a 12-sided dome and decorated with elaborate frescoes.
This world-famous structure is a Byzantine church built by Justinian. It was later converted to a mosque and is now a museum.
The best-known Coptic church in Cairo is this church dedicated to the Virgin Mary and named for its elevated location. It dates mainly from the 10th century.
Founded in 1345 by St. Sergius and containing his relics, this is the most important monastery in Russia and the spiritual center of Russian Orthodox Christianity.
Lalibela is a sacred city for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, and is home to 11 remarkable rock-carved churches dating from the 12th century.
Located 50 km from Damascus, Maalula is the only place in the world that still speaks Aramaic, the language of Jesus. Home to two ancient Christian monasteries, it attracts Christian and Muslim pilgrims.
This tiny 12th-century church next to the cathedral is dedicated to the "Virgin Who Answers Prayers Quickly." The facade features a quirky patchwork of classical artifacts and medieval sculpture.
The largest church in Athens, this 19th-century cathedral is the spiritual headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Church. Its interior is lavishly and colorfully decorated.
This fortress-like monastery crowns the town of Patmos. It dates from the 11th century and contains 12th-century frescoes.
This mountainous peninsula in northern Greece is home to 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries, the earliest of which was founded in 963 AD.
Emperor Haile Selassie founded this new Church of St. Mary of Zion next to the old one. It was completed in 1964. Unlike the original, the new St. Mary of Zion allows entrance to women.
A rather humble exterior in Istanbul shelters the worldwide headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Church and the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. George (Aya Yorgi).
An 11th-century Byzantine church with an attractive facade and an extensive cycle of frescoes in the dome.
The 4th-century "Our Lady of a Hundred Doors" is the oldest remaining Byzantine church in Greece. According to legend, 99 doors have been found in the church and the 100th will be discovered only after Constantinople is Greek again.
The most famous of the many churches on the Greek island of Mykonos, this sloping, whitewashed conglomeration of four chapels mixes Byzantine and vernacular idioms and has been described as "a confectioner's dream gone mad."
This red-domed monastery in the village of Ano Mera is dedicated to the protectress of Mykonos. It has a marble bell tower with intricate folk carvings and a Florence-made iconostasis of 1775.
A massive round building that was first a Roman temple, then a Christian church, then a mosque.
An active nunnery in the Meteora with a pleasant courtyard, accessible by a new bridge.
Built in 1866 for the Russian Orthodox community of Geneva.
This famously colorful cathedral was built by Ivan the Terrible between 1534 and 1561 to commemorate a military victory. It consists of nine chapels built on a single foundation.
The traditional site where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God, Mount Sinai is home to St. Catherine's Monastery, the oldest Christian monastery still in use.
The Church of St. George (Mari Girgis) in Coptic Cairo is the primary Greek Orthodox church of Egypt. Originally built in the 10th century, it stands atop an old Roman tower and adjoins a monastery.
The seat of the Pope of Alexandria, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, this church is believed to stand on the site of the church founded by St. Mark the Evangelist.
Built in 1941 in downtown Seattle, St. Spiridon is a Russian Orthodox cathedral complete with blue onion domes and golden Orthodox crosses.
The largest Orthodox church in western Europe, Uspenski has a striking red-brick exterior and beautiful icons inside. Built in 1868, it is a cathedral of the Finnish Orthodox Church.
This popular Meteora monastery features a pleasant garden and a friendly monk who often chats with visitors there.
