The Monastery of Mar Saba

Mar Saba Monastery is located 15 kilometers east of Bethlehem and 5 kilometers east of the town of al-Ubeudiya in the occupied Palestinian West Bank. The monastery was built around 1500 years ago. This ancient monastery houses the remains of its founder, Saint Saba, and serves as a final resting place for numerous monks. Known for its distinctive architecture and unique rules, the monastery prohibits women from entering and forbids the consumption of apples within its grounds. The Monastery was constructed in the area known as the Jerusalem Wilderness at the foot of a mountain and overlooks Wadi al-Nar (Kidron Valley)
The Monastery was named after St. Sabas, who lived between 439 and 532. St. Sabas lived in a small cave opposite the present monastery. He was accompanied by a large group of other monks, who lived in some of the 70 other natural cave hermitages in the area. In 483, the great main monastery was established. The structure appears almost carved into the mountain, representing a life of “severe monasticism”, a way of life that invites monks to dedicate their lives to asceticism, worship, and reclusion. According to monastery records, St. Saba became a monk at the age of eight, arrived in the Bethlehem area at 18, and died in 532 AD at the age of 93. He was buried in the yard of the monastery. The relics of St. Saba were placed in a glass box showing that his body has shrunk a bit. The Crusaders, upon leaving the Holy Land, took his body to Venice, Italy where he was laid for more than seven centuries before he was brought back to his “own place,” the monastery of Mar Saba in 1965.
Recognized as an architectural masterpiece, the monastery features multiple levels, numerous doors, and narrow passageways leading to different sections of the complex. It also includes a water spring and several wells for rainwater collection. Over the centuries, Mar Saba has hosted many notable monks, including John of Damascus in 720 AD during the Umayyad period when it served as a significant gathering place for monks. The Monastery has witnessed the influences of various civilizations, with the most recent restoration and construction undertaken by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1840.