Game Info[]
Vanilla[]
Bonus building. Requires an improved source of 
Wine or 
Incense.
Gods & Kings and Brave New World[]
Religious building. Can only be purchased with 
Faith in cities following a religion with the Monasteries belief.
- +2
Culture - +2 Faith
- +1 Culture and Faith in each tile with Wine or Incense worked by the city
- +2 Tourism with Sacred Sites Religious Belief
Strategy[]
In vanilla Civilization V, the Monastery is an excellent source of 
Culture for cities that have access to Wine and/or Incense. In the Gods & Kings and Brave New World expansions, it is unique among religious buildings because it doesn't boost 
Happiness as the others do. On the other hand, if there are sources of Wine or Incense nearby, each of them receives a +1 bonus to Culture and Faith potential. When added to the Monastery's own bonus, this can add up to quite a lot of Faith and Culture from a single building. Of course, this bonus effect is wasted in cities that have neither of these resources.
The Monastery's bonus seems somewhat lesser than other religious buildings, but Monasteries are cheaper to purchase than other religious buildings, which frees up Faith for other uses.
Note that you can only purchase a Monastery in one of your own cities which has your religion as its majority religion (i.e., has your religious symbol to the right of its name).
Civilopedia entry[]
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings housing monks or nuns - people who have renounced worldly things (wealth, possessions, sex) - and dedicated their lives to prayer and meditation. Generally monasteries are single-sex organizations, or if men and women are present, they're separated by imposing walls. Historically monasteries have been places of higher learning, especially during the Middle Ages where members of religious orders were often the only people outside of the ruling elite who knew how to read and write.
See also[]
- Monastery in other games
