Travel Guide Wadi Qelt

The Wadi Qelt is a temporary watercourse winding its way through the dry Judean hills. St. George's Monastery nestles in the very cliff face of this arid, steep-sided valley. The first monastery was built by hermits in the 4th century and enlarged in the5th century by a Greek Orthodox monk, Gorgias of Koziba. During the Persian invasion of 614, the monastery was destroyed and many monks were murdered. Their skulls and mummies can be seen inside the church. The present monastery, apart from the ancient chapel, was built in the early 20th century and is still inhabited by Greek Orthodox monks. Appropriate dress required.