Monastery
The word "monastery" comes from the Latin monasterium, the lifestyle of a monk, or the place where monks or other religious live, work and worship in community; the word also referred to the cathedral or church used by the monks, or the cathedral chapter.For a discussion of the history and development of monasteries see monasticism
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Can be of either monks (male religious), or nuns, (female religious). The names given to various types of monastic establishment include abbey, priory, convent and charterhouse.
A number of distinct monastic orders developed within Roman Catholicism. Eastern Orthodoxy does not have a system of orders, per se.
Christian monasteries
The Society of Jesus (Jesuits) is a religious order, having vows; but, it is not a monastic order, strictly speaking.
Famous monasteries include:
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, a highest-rank monastery is called lavra.
The centre of Orthodox monasticism is Mount Athos in Greece, an isolated peninsula containing over a dozen ancient monasteries.
Other famous Orthodox monasteries include:
Catholic monasteries
Famous dissolved monasteries:Orthodox Christian monasteries
See also: monasticism, abbey, priory, cloister
Look under the specific monastic order you are interested in, e.g. Benedictine, Cluny, etc. Broader treatment and a more complete list are available at the entry for Monasticism.
Buddhist monasteries