- Address: Tel Aviv, Israel;
- Phone: +972507644218;
- Service passes: Sat. and entirely. from 9:00.
The monastery of the Archangel Michael in Tel Aviv , or rather in Jaffa, is one of the holy places of the Christian world and a magnificent architectural monument. He descends his terraces to the port, striking tourists with monumentality, the brightness of the frescoes. This place is simply saturated with history and antiquity. The exact date of completion of the construction is unknown, but the monastery is still in effect.
History and description of the monastery
The monastery of the Archangel Michael is under the jurisdiction of the Jerusalem Patriarchate. Here is the residence of Archbishop Ippopiisky, as well as the Russian and Armenian community, which has the right to perform the ordinances of baptism, the wedding and the burial service of the citizens of Israel .
The monastery was visited by Russian pilgrims from time immemorial, accompanied by Orthodox Greeks. This was facilitated by the location of the monastery, because the monastery was built at the foot of the Andromeda Hill. To cope with the large flow of pilgrims, the monastery was renovated and decorated by the Jerusalem Patriarch Cyril II in 1852. Pilgrims usually sailed by sea and stayed at the monastery for the night, where they presented themselves to the abbot. After a rest they went on foot to the Sacred Journey on foot for half a year. Upon his completion, they returned to the monastery to go back home on the first ship.
The monastery of Archangel Michael played a very important role - it was the spiritual center of a large Orthodox community. But after the founding of Israel in 1948, it lost its former strength, since the vast majority of Orthodox pasta was forced to leave the country, and the port of Jaffa was closed.
In 1961, the temple of the monastery caught fire for an unknown reason and collapsed. The event was decisive in the sense that many considered it a bad sign and left the monastery. Only the rector remained, who served as a parish priest at the Orthodox church of St. George.
Restoration work began in 1994 with the efforts of Archimandrite Damaskin, the reconstruction of the main temple took six months. Later they began to restore other parts - the court room, jewelry, cells. This took away the entire inheritance that the holy father received from his adoptive mother.
The Monastery of the Archangel Michael today
At the present time, the Jaffa metropolis of the Jerusalem Patriarchate is located on the territory of the monastery, as well as premises for the Arab, Romanian and Russian communities. There are also two functioning temples - the Archangel Michael and the Russian temple of the righteous Tafiva. The first visit the visiting Romanians and Moldovans, the second is the remains of the righteous Tafiva, which was resurrected by the apostle Peter. The inner walls of this temple and the iconostasis are painted by Natalia Goncharova-Kantor.
You can get to the territory of the monastery on Saturdays and Sundays, when its gates open for pilgrims, at this time there are divine services. Travelers are advised to climb to the upper terrace, which offers an amazing view of the Jaffa Harbor and the Church of St. Michael.
How to get there?
To reach the Monastery of the Archangel Michael, you can only walk. The vehicle just will not drive through the narrow streets. The monastery is not visible either from the side of the sea or from the city. For the landmark should take the old port of Jaffa , and you need to go parallel to the embankment to the north to the bell tower of the Franciscan church of St. Peter.