“This return marks a glorious achievement,” said Bishop Pavlos of the northeastern Greek city of Drama, who oversees the monastery.

The U.S.-based Museum of the Bible, which holds some of the world’s most revered collections of religious manuscripts, agreed last week to return a rare 10th century gospel book to the Monastery of Theotokos Eikosiphinisa in northern Greece.

These monks live inside the monastery.

The monastery closed after 900 years due to a shortage of monks.

We climbed uphill with the Red Sea on the left and on the right the rugged mountains of Sinai, at the heart of which nestles the monastery.

St. Benedict established his first monastery on top of Monte Cassino.

We stopped at the monastery and went inside.

Sometimes they leave the monastery to stroll through the city.

Ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the national anthem of the Russian Federation performed by the Sretensky Monastery Choir.

Dan found it hard to adjust to life in the monastery.