Saidana

The Saidani Monastery is an active Orthodox monastery, one of the largest female monasteries in Syria. It is located in the village of Saydnaya, near Damascus. The main attraction of the Saidanai Monastery is the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, revered in Christianity for a shrine and attracting many pilgrims.

The Saidan monastery was founded in the sixth century by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I. According to legend, in 546, during the war against the Persians, the emperor stopped in the village of Saydnaya, where an angel appeared to him. In the same year, a monastery was founded in this place, which still exists today.

The famous icon of the Mother of God came to the Saidan monastery in the eighth century. Many legends and rumors are associated with this holy image - it is assumed that the icon was painted by the evangelist Luke himself. Also, the icon is prescribed miraculous properties - several healings are recorded near it, and since then the number of pilgrims to it has not dried up.

The icon is kept in a special chapel, in a silver box. Access to the miraculous image is limited - pilgrims can only approach the casket, but the icon itself is hidden from visitors. However, this does not reduce the number of people who come to the Saidani monastery to pray near the shrine.