thumb|[[Vardzia Cave Monastery (Georgia)]]

A cave monastery is a monastery built in caves, with possible outside facilities. The 3rd-century monk St. Anthony the Great, known as the founder of Christian monasticism, lived in a cave.

  • Albania
  • Qafthanë Cave Church, cave church near Urakë
  • St. Mary's Church, cave church in Maligrad, an island in the Prespa lake
  • Armenia
  • Geghard cave monastery/fortress
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Zavala monastery
  • Bulgaria
  • Aladzha Monastery
  • Albotin Monastery
  • Basarbovo Monastery
  • Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo
  • Cave monasteries of Krepcha
  • Monasteries of Provadia
  • Cave monasteries on the Plateau of Shumen
  • Cave monasteries of Tervel
  • Egypt
  • St. Simon the Tanner Monastery
  • Ethiopia
  • Monolithic church
  • France
  • Abbey of Saint-Roman, Beaucaire, Gard
  • Georgia
  • David Gareja monastery complex
  • Vanis Kvabebi cave monastery/fortress, Javakheti Plateau
  • Vardzia cave city and monastery
  • Greece
  • various cave hermitages at Meteora
  • various cave hermitages at Mount Athos
  • caves at Karoulia
  • Hungary
  • Gellért Hill Cave chapels and monastery, Budapest
  • Iraq
  • Rabban Hormizd Monastery, Alqosh
  • Mar Qayuma Monastery, Dooreh
  • Israel
  • Qumran Caves, once inhabited by the Essenes
  • Montenegro
  • Ostrog Monastery
  • North Macedonia
  • Kališta Monastery, Struga
  • Romania
  • Basarabi Cave Complex
  • Corbii de Piatră
  • Nămăiești
  • Russia
  • Monastery of the Caves, Nizhny Novgorod
  • Pskov Cave Monastery, Pskov Oblast
  • Divnogorye and Saviour Convent, Voronezh Oblast
  • Serbia
  • Blagoveštenje
  • Crna Reka
  • Gornjak
  • Kađenica
  • Churches of Kovilje Monastery
  • Church of Sts. Peter and Paul, also known as the Cave Church, 14th-century church in Lukovo
  • Church of Sts. Peter and Paul, in Rsovci, where was painted a unique fresco of bald Jesus
  • Hermitage of St. Peter Koriški
  • Savina
  • Thailand
  • Wat Tham Khan, Sakon Nakhon province
  • Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tam Sua), Krabi
  • Turkey
  • Cappadocia cave monasteries
  • Cave monastery of İnceğiz
  • Church of Saint Peter
  • Ukraine thumb|A cell in the caves of the Kytaiv Monastery
  • Bakhchysarai Cave Monastery in Crimea
  • in Crimea
  • in Crimea
  • Inkerman Cave Monastery in Crimea
  • Assumption Cave Monastery in Zymne, Volyn Oblast
  • Bakota Cave Monastery in Bakota, Khmelnytskyi Oblast
  • in Crimea
  • Kyiv Pechersk Lavra (Near and Far Caves) in Kyiv
  • in Kyiv
  • in Crimea
  • Sviatohirsk Lavra in Sviatohirsk, Donetsk Oblast
  • Yeletskyi Monastery (Saint Anthony's Caves) in Chernihiv

In Bulgaria

Northeast Bulgaria

  • Rock monasteries near Ruse
  • Basarbovo Monastery
  • Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo
  • Great Nisovo Rock Monastery (Голям Нисовски скален манастир), near Nisovo village
  • Tabachka Cave Church, near Tabachka village
  • Rock monasteries near Cherven village
  • Malkiya Rai Rock Monastery (Скален манастир „Малкия Рай“)
  • Koshuta Rock Monastery (Скален манастир „Кошута“)
  • Golemiya Rai Rock Monastery (Скален манастир „Големия рай“)
  • Moskov Dol Rock Church (Скална църква „Москов Дол“)
  • Krepcha Rock Monastery (Крепченски скален манастир), near Krepcha village
  • Rock monasteries near Tervel
  • Rock monasteries near Balik and Onogur villages
  • Asar Evleri Rock Monastery (Скален манастир „Асар евлери“)
  • Gyaur Evleri Rock Monastery (Скален манастир „Гяур евлери“)
  • Sandakli Maara Rock Monastery (Скален манастир „Сандъкли маара“)
  • Tarapanata Rock Monastery (Скална обител „Тарапаната“)
  • Valchanova Staya Rock Hermitage (Скален скит „Вълчанова стая“), near Brestnitsa village
  • Varbino Rock Monastery (Скален манастир „Върбино“), near Varbino village
  • Haidushki Kashti Rock Monastery (Скален манастир „Хайдушки къщи“), near Kolobar village

Provadiya river valley

Rock monasteries situated in and around the Provadiya river valley:

  • Rock monasteries on the Shumen Plateau
  • Osmar monasteries, near Osmar village
  • Trinity (Troitsa) monasteries, near Troitsa village
  • Hankrumovski Monastery, near Han Krum (Hankrum) village
  • Divdyadovski Monastery, near Divdiyadovo village
  • a 14th-century rock-hewn church on the northwestern edge of Shumen city
  • Rock monasteries near Nevsha
  • Gyurebahcha Rock Monastery (Скален манастир „Гюребахча“)
  • Petricha Rock Monastery (Скален манастир „Петрича“), near Razdelna, Varna Province
  • Kisheshlika Rock Monastery (Скален манастир „Кишешлика“), near Avren, Varna Province
  • Rock monasteries around Provadia
  • Shashkanite Rock Monastery (Скален манастир „Шашкъните“)
  • Chukara Rock Monastery (Скален манастир „Чукара“)
  • Holy Archangel Gabriel Rock Chapel (Скален параклис „Св. Архангел Гавраил“)
  • Sara Kaya Rock Monastery (Скален манастир „Саръ кая“)
  • Kara Cave Rock Monastery (Скален манастир „Кара пещера“), just north of Manastir village
  • Rock monasteries near Petrov Dol village
  • St. George Rock Monastery (Скален манастир „Свети Георги“)
  • Golyamata / Big Rock Monastery (Seven Chambers / Hodaviah) (Скален манастир „Голямата канара“)
  • Gradishte Rock Monastery (Скален манастир „Градище“)
  • Tapanite Rock Monastery (Скален манастир „Тъпаните“), near Blaskovo village
  • Rojak rock monasteries: Dzheneviz Kanara Rock Monastery (Скален манастир „Дженевиз канара“) or Golyamata Kanara Rock Monastery (Скален манастир „Голямата канара“), near Rojak village
  • Aladzha Monastery near Varna

Others

  • St. Stefan Rock Monastery (Скален манастир „Св. Стефан“), Nikopol
  • Rock hermitages near the Krushuna Falls south of Krushuna village
  • St. Nicholas Rock Monastery (Gligora) (Скален манастир „Свети Никола“ (Глигора)), near Karlukovo village
  • St. Ivan Pusti Monastery (Манастир „Свети Иван Пусти”), near Bistrets, Vratsa Province
  • Albotin Monastery, northwestern Bulgaria

See also

  • Indian rock-cut architecture
  • Monolithic architecture
  • Monolithic church

References

  • "Mysteries of caves in the Chernihiv area", and article in Dzerkalo Tyzhnia, (the Mirror Weekly), January, 2004, available online in Russian and in Ukrainian