The monastery, presumably founded in the 6th century, is located in Mariam-Dere (Maria gorge) near Bakhchisarai. In addition to the monastery complex, the grounds house a cemetery for soldiers killed during the Crimean War of 1853-1856, and a burial place for the Great Patriotic War heroes. For a long time, the main icon of the monastery, Panagia, also known as the Bakhchisarai Mother of God, was kept in a smaller secluded monastery located in a mountain gorge.