Stavropoleos Monastery

Stavropoleos Monastery
Mănăstirea Stavropoleos
Stavropoleos in June 2013
Basic information
Location	4 Stavropoleos Street, Sector 3, Bucharest
Geographic coordinates	44°25′54.56″N 26°5′55.66″E / 44.4318222°N 26.0987944°E / 44.4318222; 26.0987944Coordinates: 44°25′54.56″N 26°5′55.66″E / 44.4318222°N 26.0987944°E / 44.4318222; 26.0987944
Affiliation	Eastern Orthodox
Country	Romania
Year consecrated	2008
Status	Active
Patron	Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel
Architectural description
Architectural style	Brâncovenesc
Founder	Archimandrite Ioanichie Stratonikeas
Completed	30 October 1724
Materials	Stone

Stavropoleos Monastery (Romanian: Mănăstirea Stavropoleos), also known as Stavropoleos Church (Romanian: Biserica Stavropoleos) during the last century when the monastery was dissolved, is an Eastern Orthodox monastery for nuns in central Bucharest, Romania. Its church is built in Brâncovenesc style. The patrons of the church (the saints to whom the church is dedicated) are St. Archangels Michael and Gabriel. The name Stavropoleos is a Romanian rendition of a Greek word, Stauropolis, meaning "The city of the Cross". One of the monastery's constant interests is Byzantine music, expressed through its choir and the largest collection of Byzantine music books in Romania.

The church was built in 1724, during the reign of Nicolae Mavrocordat (Prince of Wallachia, 1719-1730), by archimandrite Ioanichie Stratonikeas. Within the precinct of his inn, Ioanichie built the church, and a monastery which was economically sustained with the incomes from the inn (a relatively common situation in those times). In 1726 abbot Ioanichie was elected metropolitan of Stavropole and exarch of Caria. Since then the monastery he built is named Stavropoleos, after the name of the old seat. On February 7, 1742 Ioanichie, aged 61, died and was buried in his church.