Rila Monastery
The Rila Monastery truly is a place you must visit during your trip to Bulgaria.

The biggest and most famous of Bulgaria's monasteries is situated in the north western part of the Rila Mountains and is one of the most significant monuments on the Balkan Peninsula.

The Rila Monastery was founded in the l0th century by the Bulgarian monk St. John of Rila and was rebuilt in the l3th -l4th century.

From that time there is the fortress tower (1334), the bishop's throne, richly carved doors and some manuscripts, icon-paintings and church plates.

In the l5th century, when Bulgaria fell to the Ottoman Turks, the monastery was abandoned for a short time but in the second half of the same century it was restored to a new life.

Later it was plundered several times and ravaged. Its thorough renovation began in the early l9th century. It was then that the residential wings and the church of the Holy Virgin were raised (1834-1837).

The Rila Monastery has been listed as a world monument of culture. Inside you will find a very well maintained museum.

The Rila Monastery was burned and pillaged on several occasions. The construction of the present-day monastery buildings, which stretched over thirty years, started in 1816, with means collected from the entire people.

The large monastery kitchens are located in the northern wing, and are a unique example of building and architecture: a 24-metre cone passing trough all floors by means of ten rows of arches topped by a small cupola.

Stunningly carved is the entrance gate of the church of Protosebast Hrelyo, preserved to day in the monastery's museum of history. The museum also contains a multitude of gold and silver church plates, collections of coins, weapons, jewellery gold weave materials and embroidery.

A unique masterpiece is the carved cross of the Monk Raphael worked over
a period of 12 years. The library contains 16000 volumes including 134 manuscripts from l5th to 19th century, numerous incunabula and documents.

The donations received from all parts of the country represent a very rich ethnographic collection a national collection of works of arts and crafts.

Retaining the names of the donors and the exact date of donation, they represent an original chronicle of the national consciousness, of those pure patriotic feelings and hopes which were inspired throughout centuries in every Bulgarian by the Rila Monastery.