World’s Oldest Mental Hospital: Aya Maryeros Underground Monastery to Be Restored
The Aya Maryeros Underground Monastery in Derinkuyu, Nevşehir, believed to be the world’s first psychiatric treatment center from the Byzantine era, is set to undergo restoration and open as a museum. Located in Cumhuriyet District, the monastery’s entrance was discovered in the 1990s beneath an abandoned building. The complex features tunnels, carved chambers, cellars, and
First Archaeological Evidence of Extreme Asceticism Discovered in Jerusalem
In an ancient Byzantine monastery near Jerusalem, the remains of a woman buried with 30 iron rings attached to her body have been found. This discovery represents the first archaeological evidence of extreme asceticism among female monks, a phenomenon previously known only from historical texts. Researchers from the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Weizmann Institute