Churches and monasteries
The conversion in 864-865 established Bulgaria among the European Christian powers. Since their creation, the Christian monuments became centers of Slavic literature and culture.
One of the biggest cultural and historical treasures of Bulgaria are its monasteries. Some of them date back to Byzantine time and have helped to preserve the Bulgarian spirit, while others are built on the site of destroyed cloisters. Some are impressive with their unique architecture, others with their valuable icons and skillfully made murals, and still others with their location in the most picturesque spots of the country.
The biggest and most popular Bulgarian monasteries are the Rila, Bachkovo and Troyan monasteries. Particularly picturesque are also the St. George the Victorious Glozhen Monastery near Teteven and the Birth of the Holy Virgin Rozhen Monastery in the Sandanski and Melnik area.
The Rila Monastery is the biggest and most impressive Bulgarian monastery. It was established in the middle of the 930s by the hermit Ivan Rilski and his followers. Ivan Rilski was one of the first well-known Bulgarian monks and hermits.
The monastery was well-maintained by the kings in the Middle Ages, hence it became a spiritual and cultural center of the country. This is demonstrated by the 1378 Deed of Gift, preserved up until today in the monastery’s archive. In the 13th and 14th centuries, the Rila Monastery witnessed the creation of interesting manuscripts, splendid works of wood-carving, murals of high artistic merit and icons. Big and well-run monasteries in Stara Planina are the Osenovlag Monastery and the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Cherepish Monastery in the Iskar Gorge, the Klisura Monastery near the Petrohan Pass, as well as the St. Trinity Etropole Monastery. The St. Holy Virgin of Vitosha Dragalevtsi Monastery at the foot of Vitosha and the St. George the Victorious Kremikovtsi Monastery are also very interesting to visit. The monasteries around Veliko Tarnovo date back to the time of the Second Bulgarian State and have great historical and cultural value. There you can visit the Transfiguration Monastery, the St. Trinity Patriarch Monastery, the St. Michael the Archangel Dryanovo Monastery, the St. Prophet Elias Plakovo Monastery and the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Sokol Monastery.
Numerous rock-hewn monasteries are located in North Bulgaria, most of them not functioning, but very interesting. The largest number of monasteries is concentrated along the Rusenski Lom river valley. The Basarbovo Monastery is the only functioning rockhewn monastery in Bulgaria. The Ivanovo Rock-Hewn Monastery, about 25 km away from the Basarbovo Monastery, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Another popular rock hewn monastery is the Aladzha Monastery near the Black Sea resort Golden Sands.
Iconography is closely related to Christianity and found mainly in the Eastern Orthodox world. Bulgarian iconography was born about a century after the conversion to Christianity. The unique icons include the ceramic icons of the Pliska and Veliki Preslav culture, as well as the most famous items from the Second Bulgarian State period, the Holy Virgin Katafigi and St. John the Theologian double-sided icon (‘the Poganovo icon”) from the 14th century, the Holy Virgin Eleusa, a double-sided icon coming from Nesebar (13th-14th century), the Holy Virgin Hodegetria from Nesebar impressive with its rich silver repousse cover (kept in the Bachkovo Monastery).
During the period when Bulgaria was part of the Ottoman Empire, iconography, along with Slavic literature and Christianity, helped preserve the national identity. The Revival period witnessed renovation in iconography. The new style was close to popular traditions without conflicting with the genre’s traditions. The distinctive features of the Revival iconography include bright, cheerful colors, characters in clothes contemporary to the historical period, frequent depiction of Bulgarian kings and saint patriarchs. Several new schools were born, the schools of Samokov, Tryavna, Debar, and others. Among the prominent iconographers of this period are Zahariy Zograf, Nikola Obrazopisov and Stanislav Dospevski. Contrary to the past, the iconographers of the Revival period were rarely clergymen, which helped to develop a distinctive creative character.
