Forty Saints Monastery, Sarandë
The Forty Saints Monastery (Albanian: Rrënojat e Manastirit të 40 Shenjtorëve, Greek: Ιερά Μονή Σαράντα Μαρτύρων) is a ruined monastery in Sarandë, Albania, dedicated to the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste.
The monastery dates back to the 6th century AD, and it is thought to have been an important regional pilgrimage site. The second floor of the monastery was destroyed during World War II's Allies bombings.
During the prohibition of religion in Albania, the monastery was declared as a Cultural Monument.
_______ 〜 _______
The 40 Martyrs of Sebaste (or 40 Christian Soldiers) were a group of soldiers who were kills near Sebaste, Armenia for refusing to renounce their Christian reliagion.
The city of Saranda got its name from the 40 Saints Monastery as in Greek, “Saranda” means “40”.
Oringinally the Monastery was composed of two floors, the upper and the lower, however the upper level was destroyed in WWII.
The monastery was declared a Cultural Monument of the 1st category in 1970 following the prohibitiion of religion in Albania.
You can request permission from the Sarande town hall (Bashkia Saranda) to visit the crypt.
In 2014 the Albanian Development Fund planned to look into improving the infrastructure around the site for the potential of increasing tourism in the area.
Fonts from :
Comments
Post a Comment