Zoodochos is a

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

term meaning "life-receiving". It refers to an attribute of the

tomb of Christ According to the gospel accounts, Jesus was buried in a tomb which originally belonged to Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy man who, believing Jesus was the Messiah, offered his own sepulcher for the burial of Jesus. According to Christian tradition ...

, known as the Zoodochos Taphos in the

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, and also called the Greek Orthodox Church or simply the Orthodox Church, is List of Christian denominations by number of members, one of the three major doctrinal and ...

. The tomb of Christ is considered a symbol of the Resurrection in Eastern Christianity. The title zoodochos is occasionally applied to the

Theotokos ''Theotokos'' ( Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are or (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations are "Mother of God" or "God-beare ...

since church tradition teaches that she received the Life of Christ in her womb. The Church of St. Mary of the Spring in

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

is named ''Zoödochos Pege'' ("Life-giving Spring") and is dedicated to the Virgin. The shrine and monastery of Zoodochos Pigi in eastern

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

is named after the tomb of Jesus.

Churches and Monasteries dedicated to Zoodochos

Church of Zoodochos Pigi, Dervenosalesi (Boeotia)

It is located near the village of

Pyli Pyli () is a municipality in the Trikala regional unit, Greece. Situated 18 km west of Trikala, right at the bottom of two mountains Itamos, and Koziakas, which mark the beginning of the Pindos mountainline, Pyli marks the entrance to a grea ...

Boeotia Boeotia ( ), sometimes Latinisation of names, Latinized as Boiotia or Beotia (; modern Greek, modern: ; ancient Greek, ancient: ), is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the modern regions of Greece, region of Central Greece (adm ...

. This Byzantine-era church was originally part of a monastery. The existing structure served as the

narthex The narthex is an architectural element typical of Early Christian art and architecture, early Christian and Byzantine architecture, Byzantine basilicas and Church architecture, churches consisting of the entrance or Vestibule (architecture), ve ...

of the main church (

katholikon A ''katholikon'' or catholicon () or ''sobor'' () refers to one of three things in the Eastern Orthodox Church: * The cathedral of a diocese. * The major Church (building), church building (temple) of a monastery corresponding to a conventual ...

), which was a cross-in-square domed building adorned with inlaid marble floors reminiscent of the nearby

Hosios Loukas Hosios Loukas () is a historic walled monastery situated near the town of Distomo, in Boeotia, Greece. Founded in the mid-10th century, the monastery is one of the most important monuments of Middle Byzantine architecture and art, and has been l ...

monastery. The katholikon collapsed around 1890, and the narthex was subsequently converted into the present church. Remnants of the monastery's walls and 13th-century baths are still visible today.

Monastery of Zoodochos Pigi, Poros

It is situated approximately 4 kilometers east of the

Poros Poros (; ) is a small Greek island-pair in the southern part of the Saronic Gulf, about south of the port of Piraeus and separated from the Peloponnese by a wide sea channel, with the town of Galatas on the mainland across the strait. Its surf ...

town; this monastery was founded in 1720 by Archbishop Iakovos II of Athens. According to tradition, the Archbishop was miraculously cured of

lithiasis A calculus (: calculi), often called a stone, is a concretion of material, usually mineral salts, that forms in an organ or duct of the body. Formation of calculi is known as lithiasis (). Stones can cause a number of medical conditions. Some ...

after drinking from a nearby spring, prompting the establishment of the monastery. Built within a pine forest, it remains a significant religious site on the island.

Monastery of Zoodochos Pigi, Balıklı (Istanbul)

This monastery is renowned for its sacred spring, believed to possess healing properties. The site has a rich history dating back to the Byzantine era and continues to be a place of pilgrimage.

Notes

References

External links

* Eastern Orthodox spirituality Modern Greek words and phrases New Testament Greek words and phrases {{EasternCatholic-stub