MARTYRIUS MONASTERY
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The remains of this monastery were discovered in 1982. Its founder Martyrius, a native of Cappadocia, lived at the laurel of Euthymius the Great (now a monastery) in themid-5th century, before settling as a hermit in a nearby cave. He later became Patriarch of Jerusalem from 478 to 486. It was during this period that he had this monastery built.
Built around a vast square courtyard, the monastery included a church, several chapels, a refectory, kitchens, a storehouse, a bathhouse, a dormitory wing and a stable with a farmyard. A guesthouse for pilgrims and stables were located outside the monastic enclosure. The church, of which almost nothing remains, was paved with mosaics. An inscription in Greek mentions abbots Genesius and Johannes, in whose memory the church was built. A vast excavation containing skeletons has been discovered to the north of the monastery. Three names of priests buried there are mentioned in Greek. This could be the grotto where Martyrius lived before going to Jerusalem and being transformed into a funeral chapel. The monastery was damaged during the Persian invasion of 614 and abandoned in the mid-7th century.
Today, you can visit the ruins, which have been excavated since the 1980s: this vast complex will reveal its secrets more easily during a guided tour, available in English on prior reservation by contacting the archaeological site by e-mail.
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