Bulgarian Monasteries

The Bulgarian Monasteries are closely connected to the Bulgarian history and from the very start they have gained great importance as centres of the Bulgarian literature and culture and have preserved the nation's values during difficult times. Some of the monasteries, which date back to Byzantine times, have played a key role in keeping up the Bulgarians' spirit and self-consciousness during 5 centuries of Ottoman slavery.

Contents:

• Rila Monastery
• Bachkovo Monastery
• Cherepish Monastery
• Dryanovo Monastery
• Troyan Monastery

Rila Monastery

Rila Monastery is historical and cultural site in the Rhodope Mountains of southwestern Bulgaria. It is situated in a valley of the Rila massif, 70 miles (110 km) south of Sofia. Rila is a symbol of Bulgarian national identity, and it is the most prominent monastery of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
This is the first Christian monastery in Bulgaria, founded by the hermit John of Rila (Ivan Rilski on Bulgarian), who is the traditional patron saint of Bulgaria. Rila grew rapidly in power and influence from the 13th to the 14th century. After a devastating fire, it was rebuilt and fortified at 1334. During the Ottoman Turkish occupation (14th–19th century) and the accompanying cultural domination of Bulgaria by Greece, Rila again flourished, in part owing to its isolation from Ottoman power centers. In the 18th and 19th centuries Rila was a cradle for the "National Revival" of Bulgaria. The monastery supported book publishing, a library and archives, and various educational institutions.
The monastery complex is a national historical monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since 1991 it has been entirely subordinate to the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
The monastery offers accommodation while the area around it has grown into a developed tourist centre with plenty of restaurants and hotels.

Rila Monastery Picture Gallery

Rila Monastery is Bulgarian UNESCO site

• Rila Monastery Official Site

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Bachkovo Monastery

Bachkovo Monastery is one of the largest and oldest Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Europe. Located along the reaches of the Assenitsa River (29 km south of Plovdiv and 189km of Sofia), the Bachkovo monastery ranks second after the Rila Monastery both with regard to size, and to architectural, artistic and literary significance. It was founded by the Georgian Grigorii Bakuriani in 1083. Almost immediately after its foundation, the monastery turned into a wealthy landowner, its properties stretching as far as Salonika.
In 1344 Tsar Ivan Alexander established his rule over the Rodopite, populated the monastery with Bulgarians, and generously donated to it. His full-length portrait stands in the narthex, of the upper floor of the ossuary - the only building remained from the mediaeval monastery after its destruction in 16th c. standing alone in the woods today, apart from the new "complex". Spared during the first wave of enslavement Bachkovo monastery became the prison of the last Bulgarian Patriarch Euthymius, who was exiled here, where he continued his literary work.
The monastery's biography is inevitably reflected in the architectural face of the ossuary. Its general idea is foreign to old Bulgarian art, and is clearly influenced by Syrian and Armenian-Georgian building. At the same time, the construction of parallel rows of stones and bricks was unknown there, and that is the construction method of Pliska and Preslav - the capitals of the First and the Second Bulgarian Kingdom.
The Cathedral Church of the Virgin Mary (dating from 1604) is the place where a valuable wonder-working icon of the Virgin Mary Eleusa from 1310 is kept. This church was built in the place of the monastery's oldest church destroyed by the Turks. The murals in the spacious narthex were painted in 1643. The two central icons in the iconostasis are exactly dated - 1793 (the icons of The Holy Virgin and Jesus Christ).  The frescoes in the nave were painted much later, in 1850, by Joan Mosch.  The woodwork - iconostasis, bishop's throne and the like, dates from the 18th century.
The Bachkovo monastery has long welcomed visitors and accommodated those wishing to stay there for the night. It has a large capacity of more than 200 beds, but booking is recommended for the summer season.

Bachkovo Monastery Picture Gallery

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Cherepish Monastery

Cherepish Monastery, called Virgin Mary’s Assumption has been lies for centuries hidden amidst soaring grandiose crags on the right bank of the Iskar River. The reverent Paisii of Hilendar writes in his "Slav-Bulgarian History" that the monastery has been thoroughly renovated at the end of the 16th century and the early 17th century by the renowned Bulgarian ecclesiastic, builder and painter Pimen Zograf of Sofia. In 1798 the great Bulgarian St. Sofroniy Vrachanski found an asylum in the monastery as he left Vratsa because of the Turkish slaughters. He stood there till 1799 and continued creating and working in favor of Bulgaria. Throughout centuries, it was inhabited by men of letters, translators and calligraphers who have left us with such valuable works as the Cherepish Gospel of the 16th century, bound in 1512 with gold covers and depicting scriptural scenes; the Gospel of the Monk Danail, Jacob's Book of Apostles (both dating from the 17th century), and the Margarit collection of sermons and precepts compiled by Priest Todor of Vratsa in 1762.
The approximate date of the monastery's emergence is certified in wilting: a deed recorded between 1390 and 1396 is kept today at Sofia's Church Historical and Archaeological Museum. Some of the murals in the old church were possibly painted about the mid-19th century by Tryavna artists, but are badly damaged. The loss is somewhat compensated by the skillfully carved iconostasis and bishop's throne.
Following a thorough renovation in the summer of 2006, the Cherepish monastery already offers food and accommodation. The monastery’s dining hall is open to guests and can accommodate up to 35 people. It offers traditional monastery meals and Bulgarian cuisine. The hotel part of the monastery, in turn, can host up to 30 people in rooms for 3, 4 or 6 people with bathrooms.

Cherepish Monastery Picture Gallery

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Dryanovo Monastery

"St Archangel Michail" monastery is situated in the picturesque gorge of Dryanovo river in Stara Planina Mountain. It is near Dryanovo and about 220 km away from Sofia. The monastery was founded in the 12th century and lately became centre of the Hesychasm. During the Ottoman slavery the monastery was burned out twice and in the 17th century it was built at the place where it is now. The history of this beautiful holy site is closely connected with the national liberation movement. The monastery was one of the headquarters of the Tarnovo revolutionary committee.
The apostle of liberty, Vasil Levski and his adherents often putted up in the monastery. During the April uprising several surviving rebels repulsed the attacks of the numerous Turckish army nine days.The Dryanovo monastery offers accommodation in cosy double and triple rooms. A few restraurants with good cousines are scattered in the immediate neighbourhood of the monastery.

Dryanovo Monastery Picture Gallery

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Troyan Monastery

The Assumption of Virgin Mary Monastery, or simply called Troyan Monastery, is the third largest monastery in Bulgaria. The Troyan Monastery, is known above all for the creative work of Zahari Zograph who painted both the exterior and the interior (a rare practice for the time) of the main church built in 1835, 7 km from the town of Troyan. It is a fine example of the impact of the popular conception of the world and the influence of housing architecture on religious construction. Similarly to other Bulgarian monasteries, this one also has its miraculous icon, which arrived at the monastery at the time of its establishment, namely the icon of the Three-handed Holy Virgin. Together with its spiritual role, the monastery is a cradle of great Bulgarian writers, teachers and translators, and was a shelter of the Apostle of Freedom Vasil Levski.
The monastery’s buildings have a vast hotel part with modernly equipped rooms while there are a few pubs and snack stalls all over the place. One can taste here the famous plum brandy made according to ancient recipes at the monastery itself.

Troyan Monastery Picture Gallery

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