Mar Saba Monastery

Mar Saba Monastery is situated within an arid and spectacular desert view, on the side of a steep cliff overlooking the Kidron Valley which is in the north of the Judean Desert. This Greek Orthodox monastery is one of the most ancient monasteries in the world and it has existed here continuously for 1500 years. Inside the monastery one can see the tomb of St. Sabbas the Sanctified, which is covered by a golden dome. The monastery is a mysterious labyrinth of passages, alcoves, cells and stairs and it has no electricity or running water, which gives this place an enchanted feeling of past days. Women cannot enter this place. At sunset on St. Sabbas’s Holiday Eve hundreds of candles are lit which flicker in the caves above the dark cliff. On Sundays and on Holidays a monk plays a charming concert of church bells here, which resonates in the desert silence that surrounds this monastery.