ABOUT RILA MONASTERY
Rila Monastery is the biggest monastery in Bulgaria, one of the most remarkable monuments on the Balkan Peninsula. It is situated at an altitude of 1100 m in the northwestern part of
Rila mountains, 120 km south of
Sofia.
The 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 are the fortress tower (1334), erected by the local ruler Hrelyo Dragovola, the bishop’s throne, richly carved doors and some manuscripts, icon-paintings and church plateс.
In the l5th century, when Bulgaria fell under the Ottoman yoke, 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 for several times plundered 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). In the four-storeyed dormitories there are more than 400 cells, 4 chapels, guest-rooms, a cook-house, unique in terms of construction and design.
The mural paintings are remarquable- all of them work of masters builders from
Samokov and
Bansko Art School of the 19 th century. A museum with a rich library is arranged at the monastery.
Since 1983 it is included in the list of monuments of the world culture and natural heritage compiled at UNESCO.
One can get to the Monastery along a first-class asphalt road. There is a regular bus transport connecting it to the town of
Rila (19km),
Blagoevgrad (40km),
Dupnitsa (44km) and
Sofia (110km). It is the most romantic to spend the night in the Monastery itself.
Description
