Monastic communities chose their sites for isolation, and isolation is what the aerial view captures: the rock pillar with no obvious way up, the desert wadi with one spring, the alpine shelf reached by an hour of switchbacks — plus the walled garden and cistern that made it self-sufficient.
Christian, Buddhist and other foundations, in use and in ruin, each with aerial views, photographs, video and a guide to their order, treasures and visiting conditions.
16 Monasteries
