This is the 3rd part of the continuing story of our 2nd road trip in Kurdistan. After our visit to the Virgin Mary's monastery (Guardian of the Plants) in the Christian village of Alqosh, we drove down a canyon road to visit Rabban Hormizd Monastery which clings to the side of a mountain. I found the following on Wikipedia about Rabban Hormidz Monastery. It is a fairly acccurate description about the monastery.
"Rabban Hormizd Monastery is built about half way up the range of mountains which encloses the plain of Mosul on the north, and stands in a sort of amphitheatre, which is approached by a rocky path that leads through a narrow defile; this path has been paved by generations of monks. The church is of stone and is of a dusky red colour ; it is built upon an enormous rock. In the hills round about the church and buildings of the monastery are rows of caves hewn out of the solid rock, in which the stern ascetics of former generations lived and died.
They have neither doors nor any protection from the inclemency of the weather, and the chill which they strike into the visitor gives an idea of what those who lived in them must have suffered from the frosts of winter and the drifting rain. Some of them have niches hewn in their sides or backs in which the monks probably slept, but many lack even these means of comfort. The cells are separate one from the other, and are approached by narrow terraces, but some of them are perched in almost inaccessible places, and, unless other means of entrance existed in former days, could only have been approached by the monks crawling down from the crest of the mountain and swinging themselves into them."
You can read more at the following links: about the Rabban Hormizd Monastery
and about Rabban Hormizd (Saint) .
I offer the following pictures for your viewing pleasure:
A view of most of the ancient monastery of Rabban Hormidz. Note how it clings to the side of the mountain.
Another, wider angle shot of the monastery.
The main entrance to the monastery.
A view from the monastery looking out over the Nineveh plains. The building at the base of the mountain is the newer Virgin Mary monastery.
Some of the caves that the monks lived in.
James Helmes was able to climb his way up to the cave. His brother, Peter, soon thereafter caught up with him and joined him in the experience of life as a monk.
After the visit to this monastery, we returned to our overnight accomodations. I will post more in the next blog.
God's blessing on all of you and your loved ones!
Joe & Kathy
"Rabban Hormizd Monastery is built about half way up the range of mountains which encloses the plain of Mosul on the north, and stands in a sort of amphitheatre, which is approached by a rocky path that leads through a narrow defile; this path has been paved by generations of monks. The church is of stone and is of a dusky red colour ; it is built upon an enormous rock. In the hills round about the church and buildings of the monastery are rows of caves hewn out of the solid rock, in which the stern ascetics of former generations lived and died.
They have neither doors nor any protection from the inclemency of the weather, and the chill which they strike into the visitor gives an idea of what those who lived in them must have suffered from the frosts of winter and the drifting rain. Some of them have niches hewn in their sides or backs in which the monks probably slept, but many lack even these means of comfort. The cells are separate one from the other, and are approached by narrow terraces, but some of them are perched in almost inaccessible places, and, unless other means of entrance existed in former days, could only have been approached by the monks crawling down from the crest of the mountain and swinging themselves into them."
You can read more at the following links: about the Rabban Hormizd Monastery
and about Rabban Hormizd (Saint) .
I offer the following pictures for your viewing pleasure:
A view from the monastery looking out over the Nineveh plains. The building at the base of the mountain is the newer Virgin Mary monastery.
After the visit to this monastery, we returned to our overnight accomodations. I will post more in the next blog.
God's blessing on all of you and your loved ones!
Joe & Kathy
No comments:
Post a Comment