Monasteries in Bulgaria - page 2

THE MONASTERY "THE ASSUMPTION" IN THE VILLAGE OF ARBANASSI The Monastery is in the village of Arbanassi, which stands 4 km off the town of Veliko Turnovo on a rocky plato. The monastery could have existed before the fall of Bulgaria under Turkish domination when it was destroyed. Restored in the 17th c and in 1680 was built the church, which is preserved today. The other monastery buildings were probably built in 1716 by the monk Danail from Troyan. In 1836 they were renovated and the present gate and the bell tower above it were built. The church has an interesting construction. It is low, with one nave and does not attract attention from the outsi ... more

THE KAPINOVO MONASTERY "ST. NICHLAS THAUMATURG" The monastery was founded in 1272 by the Bulgarian ruler Constantine Assen-Tih by the wild waters of the river Vesselina in the foot of the beautiful Balkan Mountain near Elena. This is written in the inscription on the altar apse of the church built in 1835. It is one of the large and beautiful monasteries, a remarkable monument of Old Bulgarian architecture and art. It was destroyed in the 14th c during the Ottoman oppression. It is believed that it was restored in the 16th c but we lack concrete facts about its activity in the following period. Among the earliest proofs of the existence of ... more

THE KILIFAREVO MONASTERY "THE NATIVITY OF THE HOLY VIRGIN" The Kilifarevo monastery was founded by the prominent religious activist and literary man Teodosiy Turnovski during the rule of King Ivan Alexander (c. 1348-1350) in a spot different from the present one. Teodosiy Turnovski was born in a famous boyar family. After he became monk, he stayed in many monasteries in Bulgaria and in Mount Athos. He lived for some time in the Paroria monastery (near the town of Sliven) where he studied Hesychism and became its follower. Together with his disciple Romel Bdinski he finally settled near the village of Kilifarevo. He was greatly respected by King Ivan- ... more

THE DRYANOVO MONASTERY "ST. ARCHANGEL MICHAEL" The Dryanovo monastery stands at 4 km off the town of Dryanovo and 20 km off the town of Gabrovo, in the canyon of the Dryanovska River. On all sides it is surrounded by high and steep slopes overgrown with trees. It exists since the 12th c. According to the legend, the procession with the relics of St. Michael the Warrior spent the night there when they were transported to Turnovo at the time of King Kaloyan. After the Ottoman invasion the monastery has been destroyed several times. It was restored in the spot called "Small Archangel", not far from the old one. The present monastery was buil ... more

THE GABROVO SOKOLSKI MONASTERY ,,THE ASSUMPTION" The monastery is situated among the northern slopes of the Shipka-Teteven part of the Balkan Mountain, in a beautiful place called ,,Sokola", about 12 km off Gabrovo.It was founded by the prominent clergyman and educator Joseph called later Sokolski. In the beginning a small church was built and in 1834, aided by the population in the region, in its place was erected a large stone building with a dome over a polyhedral drum. The walls on the outside are plastically formed, with shallow alcoves, and in the western part is formed an open narthex.The monastery complex is situated on two levels, w ... more

THE BATOSHEVO MONASTERY ,,THE DORMITION OF THE HOLY VIRGIN" The Batoshevo monastery stands at about 20 km off the town of Sevlievo, in a beautiful spot in Middle Balkan Mountains. The National Archeological Museum keeps an inscription on stone which certifies that the monastery was founded by the Bulgarian Patriarch with a donation from King Michael Assen (1246-1256). During excavations the remains of a building not far from the present monastery were discovered. After the Ottoman invasion the monastery was deserted and gradually fell into ruins.The restoration of the monastery is connected with the monk Isya who settled there in 1809 and managed to re ... more

THE GLOZHENE MONASTERY ,,ST. GEORGE THE VICTOR" The monastery is situated in the northern part of the Central Balkan Mountain on a high and steep rock. It is one of the most beautiful places in Bulgaria and the view that opens from it is fantastic.It was founded, according to the legend, by the Russian Kniaz Georgi Glozh, who settled in these parts during the reign of Ivan-Assen II (1218-1241). He founded a settlement called Glozhene and near it he built a small fortress and a monastery called ,,The Transfiguration". Remnants from it are still preserved.Later was built the present-day monastery on the rising rocky hill of the Lisets massif. ... more

THE ETROPOLE MONASTERY "HOLY TRINITY" The monastery "Holy Trinity", also called Varovitets, is situated in the northern parts of the Balkan Mountains, at about 5 km off the town of Etropole. Most probably the monastery already existed during the Second Bulgarian State. We find data about its existence however date from as late as the 16th c and the beginning of the 17th c. This is the period of the establishment of the famous Varovitets literary school. It was the most important educational centre north of the Balkans and one of the spiritual centres which were active in the 17th and the beginning of the 18th c. At that time the ... more

THE OSENOVLAK MONASTERY "THE HOLY VIRGIN" The monastery is situated in the valley of the river Gabrovnitsa, near the village of Osenovlak, among the silence of the woods of the Balkan Mountain, away from busy roads and large towns. It is also called "The Seven Altars" for the unique structure of its church. According to the legend it was founded by Kniaz Georgi, brother of the boyar Peter Delyan, leader of the uprising against the Byzantines in 1040. There are written data - an addition to a tetraevangelica from 1511 and a service book from 1554 - about the existence of the monastery from the beginning of the 16th c. The monastery w ... more

THE CHEREPISH MONASTERY ,,THE DORMITION OF THE HOLY VIRGIN" The Cherepish monastery is situated on the right bank of the Iskar River, in one of the most beautiful parts of the Iskar defile, surrounded by white limestone rocks. Near by, in the Ritlite area, was once situated the fortress Koritengrad. The legend has it that in this spot the Bulgarian King Ivan Shishman fought a fierce battle with the Ottoman invaders. Many soldiers perished and their skulls remained for a long time in the region. Gradually the area was named Cherepich (from cherep 'skull') and hence the name of the monastery.The earliest data about the Cherepish monastery come from an ol ... more

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