Deir al Qilt, Monastery of Saint George of Choziba
The Monastery of St. George, known as Deir al-Qilt, is located on the slopes of Wadi al-Qilt (Valley) on the old road that connects Jerusalem and Jericho. The Monastery is carved into the rocks, and it appears as if it is hung up at the top of the cliff in a theatrical style, surrounded by many caves that hermits and monks used. The beautiful Greek Orthodox monastery was converted from a small church into the current Monastery in 480 AD. The Monastery reached its highest point at the end of the sixth century during the reign of St. George Choziba when about 2,000 monks were living in the Monastery at that time. The Monastery also houses St. George’s Tomb. It is believed that the Monastery was destroyed during the Persian invasion, and most of the monks were either massacred or dispersed.
After repeated destructions, the Monastery remained active with the existence of a few monks, until its renovation by Emperor Manuel I Komnenos in the 12th century The Greek monk Kallinikos repaired, restored, and expanded the Monastery into its current form between 1878 and 1901. The Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, seeks to register Wadi al-Qilt on the World Heritage List as a historical and natural landmark, in addition to several other archaeological, historical, and natural sites.
The Orthodox Church celebrates the holiday of St. George Monastery on the 20 of January every year, and pilgrims come to it in the early evening hours through narrow roads on foot or by using animals. Usually, the celebration continues on this occasion until sunrise the next day.