Pelekete monastery

The Monastery of Saint John the Theologian (Greek Μονή Αγίου Ιωάννου του Θεολόγου ), known as the Pelekete Monastery ( Turkish Pelekete Manastırı, Moνή Πελεκητής ), is a former Byzantine monastery near the present city Tirilye in Turkey ( in the Middle Ages Trigleia in Bithynia ).

The monastery dates back to the 8th century, but its foundation date is unknown. The name " Pelekete " in Greek means " hewn with an ax ," and refers to the location on a steep rock. The monastery was a center of worship of images as opposed to the Byzantine iconoclasm. In the years 763 and 764, the monastery was attacked and burned by the iconoclastic governor Michael Lachanodrakon. Lachanodrakon tortured the hegoumenos of the monastery, Theosteriktos, as well as other monks, 38 were buried alive at Ephesus. The monastery was restored at the end of the century, and Makarios was his hegoumenos. With the continuation of the iconoclastic controversy after 813 he was imprisoned, but the monks of Pelekete continued their opposition to iconoclasm continued.

The monastery disappears from the chronicles, scholars identify it with the ruins of a monastery 5km west of the city Tirilye that Saint John is dedicated to the theologian. Local residents call it today Aya Yani or Ayani, a corruption of the Greek name " Saint John."