The Monastery of Mont Saint Michel is located in the Normandy region of western France. Monastery; It is located on a historical peninsula on the English Channel coast. However, it turns into an island from time to time due to the current tide. The region, which comes after Canada, where the tide is most clearly seen in the world, causes quite remarkable landscapes. The monastery, which draws attention with this feature, is one of the most visited destinations in France after Paris.
Mont Saint Michel Monastery turns into an island 2 times a day when the tide is high. When the waters recede in a few hours, it reaches the image of a rock rising on the beach again. During the tides experienced in the bays around the island; While the water rises and falls 15 meters, on the island it gets closer and closer by 15 kilometers. In Canada, which is known as the place where the sea level rises the most during the tides in the world, the waters reach a height of 16 meters.
History of Mont Saint Michel Monastery
Mont Saint Michel was built in 709 as a chapel. The monastery, which was effective in the 12th and 13th centuries, became one of the most important worship centers of the western Christian world. The monastery is one of the important political meeting places of the medieval period. King of France VII. King of England with Louis II. He hosted the peace talks between Henry and his reputation increased even more.
The construction of the monastery, which has a height of 80 meters, continued between the 10th and 19th centuries. The monastery, which underwent a lot of architectural changes between these periods, reflects the medieval architecture more. During the century wars between France and England in the 15th century, high walls were built around it to protect it from British attacks.
The monastery was used as a prison for monks from 1793 to 1811 after the French Revolution and was restored in 1874. In 2007, the monastery was maintained again. The monastery is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List with more than 60 historical buildings in it. It is known that the works of Aristotle, one of the Greek philosophers, were translated from Greek to Latin for the first time in Mont Saint Michel. In the second half of the 12th century, Aristotle’s thoughts and ideas became widespread in the West due to his translation activities.
The monastery, which is located on top of a rock, turns into a swamp from time to time and increases the risk of drowning with the rise of the waters. However, the monastery continued to maintain its popularity in every period. It was one of the most famous pilgrimage sites for medieval pilgrims, and today it remains one of the most visited destinations in France. It is like a small old city with the church, prison, souvenir shops, restaurants and hotels in the monastery.
