The Holy Monastery of the “Important Monks” as was noted, was built by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Elijah during 494-516 on the place where according to tradition stood the Theotokos with the other women and witnessed with them the Crucifixion on Golgotha, of her Son and our Lord. Thus they received the name “Great Theotokos” from the event – always according to Tradition- That the Most Pure mother of our Saviour, seeing her only Son being raised on the Cross cried with a rending great cry the double edged grief that stung the motherly entrails. The Monastery carried the name of “Monastery of the (Lady) Guide (Odegitria)”.

During the time the Monastery was built, the monks of “Holy Resurrection” or the “Important Monks” or “Guards of the Holy Tomb” lived spread out in the buildings close to the Tower of David and on the hill of Sion. Because of this, Patriarch Elijah wishing to gather them in a Coenobium, close to the Most Holy Tomb and the Bishopric of Jerusalem built for them the Monastery of the Theotokos which he named “Monastery of the Theotokos of the Important Ones”, as Kyrill the Scythopolitan informs us by writing “…..patriarch Elijah who built the monastery close to the bishopric and in it gathered the important ones of the Holy Resurrection who are scattered around the tower of David, providing them each a cell having all bodily comfort…….” The inauguration of the Church was performed by him on the 11 August 494. The Important Monks are called those who constitute the special monastic order, which has as its task the servicing of the Churches of the passions of the Saviour, Namely of Golgotha and of the Most Holy Tomb as well as of the Church of the Resurrection of the Lord and with their incessant prayers. For the erection of the Monastery of the “Most Holy Theotokos” and their gathering by the Patriarch Elijah, this monastic order since then was placed under the supervision, protection and care of every successive Patriarch of Jerusalem.

According to the Typicon of the Church of Jerusalem, in 1122 the Important Monks would take an active part in the ceremonies of the Most Holy Church of the Resurrection. The Typicon writes in detail about these duties.

Patriarch Elijah despite of his wish to expand the Monastery, could not manage it, because of lack of funds. As it is mentioned in the Jerusalemitic Canonarion “Some stranger came and offered one hundred and seventy gold coins and with this sum he bought the surrounding properties and turned them into hotels for the strangers”. Later, the monastery was enlarged through the purchase of a new building and other additions during different periods. Thus the complex was built with three Churches, namely the Church of the saints Constantine and Helen, of the Holy Protomartyr Thecla and the Holy Great Martyr Demetrios and became the new seat of the Important Monks which even today is called the “Central Monastery of the Important Monks of the Hagiotaphitic Brotherhood”.

The turn over of the Church of the Great Theotokos to Saint Melane.

After the settling of the Important Monks in the new Monastery, of the Saints Constantine and Helen, the Patriarch Elijah turned over the Church of the Great Theotokos with the cells to Saint Melane and under the wise guidance of this “studying” virgin when during her service were some ninety attendees. Holy Melane as we are informed on her life, arrived in Jerusalem in 417. “Every evening” notes the elder biographer of Saint Melane “after the conclusion of the Holy Resurrection she would remain at the Cross until they would come in chanting and then she would leave for her cell. The cell close to the Church of the Resurrection is the place of asceticism of Holy Melane in the Holy Monastery of the Great Theotokos where also is her tomb in the chapel that bears her name.

Destruction of the Monastery.

When the Persians in 614 conquered the Holy City of Jerusalem, they destroyed together with the other holy shrines also the Holy Monastery of the Theotokos of the Important. On September 28 of 1009 by order of Hakem a crowd of Arabs, army and mob, attacked the Church of the Resurrection and left it in ruins. They looted all the holy implements in it and not being satisfied in the desolation of the Church, they attacked also the rest of the Churches and Monasteries in Jerusalem spreading indescribable disaster. With rage they looted and brought to ruins the Monastery of the “Odegitria” (Lady Guide) namely the Great Theotokos.

During the period of the Crusaders, the Most Holy Shrines forcefully passed on to the Latin and only two monasteries in Jerusalem remained Greek. The one was close to the Tower of David, the metohion of the Holy Monastery of Savva the Sanctified and the Monastery of the Great Theotokos.

In 1170, the Emperor of Byzantium Manuel 11th Comnenos (1143-1180) repaired and decorated many Monasteries as well as the Monastery of the Great Theotokos. From 1400, the Monastery of the Great Theotokos it is said to be an ascetic convent. An anonymous Greek pilgrim describing Jerusalem notes that close to the Church of the Resurrection is “By itself and above the Patriarchate and beyond is the “Odegitria” where nuns reside”.

In 1653 at the Holy Monastery of Odegitria reside nuns. In 1667, a letter of the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Nectarios (1661-1667) which was also signed by Neophyton confirms that at the monastery of the Theotokos and Odegitria where nuns live in asceticism, a relic is kept, of the hand of Saint Juliette. In another letter of his, the Patriarch himself calls the Monastery a “convent”.

Before 1698, the Patriarch of Holy Sion, Dositheos (1669-1706) received from the “High Gate” (city ruler) the permit to repair the Monastery of the Great Theotokos. According to Neophytos the Cyprian, serious repairs were made at the Monastery from up to down as well as at the chapel and the Tomb of Saint Melane with the addition of many straircases and cells.

Recent Period.

When in 1959 the abbess of the Holy Monastery, Nun Nymphodora who came from Mani, took residence, foreknowing her mission, tirelessly worked with the help of all fellow ascetic nuns for the spiritual progress and benefit of this Holy Monastery. Under her supervision and care, new cells were built, many old ones were repaired and brought back the coenobitic trapeza and the ascetarium and beautified and renovated completely the chapel of Saint Melane.

Numerous large repairs were done to the Church of the Odegitria, the sacristy of the Monastery was replenished with many ecclesiastic implements both silver and gold plated, icons and carved wood etc, while in 1985 the walls of the entrance and of the great corridor were removed and the early stone wall, the vaults and the columns of the early Christian time as well as the early paved floor of the Monastery corridors were revealed.

Description of the relics of this Monastery.

As it was earlier noted, the Monastery of the Important Monks or Monastery of the Great Theotokos is located west of the Most Holy Sepulchre and is at a distance of a stadium. The pilgrim enters in her through a small gate of the central entrance of the Monastery, into a long corridor, on each side of which are cells of nuns. At the end of the corridor with a small staircase one is led to a place ahead of the Church of the Theotokos. The Church consists of a 5th century construction as is the Catholicon of the Monastery,through the providence of Patriarch Elijah. In it, in a special place is the venerable icon of the Theotokos Odegitria, which according to tradition is the work of the Evangelist Luke. The “Platytera” (icon of the Theotokos sitting on the throne holding the child) dominates at the niche of the Holy Vema (Holy Step) and it is from the 17th century. Close to the throne of the Odegitria, on a lectern, there are two relic boxes. One of them, in carved wood and large, contains the holy relics of the Saints; James the brother of God, John the Forerunner, Haralambos, Eleftherios, Ignatios the God-bearer, Euthymios from Demetsani, Anthimus the Hieromartyr, Nichonos the “Repent”, Auksentios the holy, Hypatios the holy and Nektarios of Pentapolis, the miracle worker. The other contains the hand of Saint Jouliette and the relics of the Turkish prince Emir who in 1549 martyred for Christ. At the Monastery is also kept the hand written Holy Bible of Saint Melane as well as numerous holy icons of Christ, of the Theotokos and of many saints dating back to the 11th -18th centuries.