Byzantine monasteries were important centers of religious, cultural, and artistic activity in the Byzantine Empire. They were typically founded and supported by the emperor, the nobility, or wealthy individuals, and were often located in remote or isolated areas, such as mountains, deserts, or islands.

Byzantine monasteries were home to communities of monks or nuns who lived according to a set of rules and practices known as a monastic rule. They dedicated their lives to prayer, contemplation, and manual labor, and sought to achieve spiritual purity and union with God.

Byzantine monasteries played a significant role in shaping and transmitting Byzantine culture and art. They were important centers of learning and education, and many of them had libraries and scriptoria where manuscripts were copied and preserved. They were also important centers of artistic production, and many of them had workshops where icons, frescoes, and other works of art were created.

Monasteries were an important part of the Byzantine legacy. Despite the disappearance of the Empire, most of them managed to survive, and sometimes even to thrive under Ottoman rule. As economic and cultural centers, often hosting libraries and schools, they were beacons for the local Greek and Christian communities. Therefore, most of the Greek identity was maintained by the Church and especially the monasteries, which in turn contributed to the revival of the national identities in the 19th century.

Even nowadays, monasteries inherited from the Byzantine times continue to be important centers of religious and cultural activity in the Orthodox Christian world. Many of them are popular pilgrimage destinations, and some of them are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as the monasteries of Mount Athos, the monasteries of Meteora, or the monastery of Patmos in Greece.