Monastery of Saint Barlaam


Monastery of Saint Barlaam is a 10th-century Georgian monastery in Antioch, modern day Turkey's Hatay Province. During the Seleucid and the Roman era there existed a Doric temple. In the 4th century, St. Barlaam destroyed statue of Zeus and formed a community of Christian monks. In early 6th century on the ruins of the ancient temple was built a small church, however it was soon destroyed as a result of an earthquake of 526 BC. It was rebuilt by Georgian monks between 950-1050 and functioned until 1268, when it was finally abandoned as a result of the massacres and the massive destruction brought by Muslim invaders.