Entering the Monastery

Welcome to one of the most famous places in Bulgaria. This is the biggest monastery on the Balkan Peninsula. It is located in Rila mountain and it is laying at 1100 meters altitude. The impression that the structure is making is of importance and magnificence. But I am sure it also provokes logical questions like why such a monastery is built in such a remote place, and what is the purpose of it.

Well, it is actually not as remote as it looks like. The monastery is lying on the main passage that was connecting the North part of the mountain with the highway that you came by. This highway has been an important road since the Prehistoric eras and it is still extremely vital to Bulgaria’s economy. The Rila monastery was not the only Christian complex in the area. When the hermit Ivan of Rila became a saint in the middle 10th century, we will talk about him a bit later, the whole region became an important center of Christianity. The first complex emerged as a cliff monastery around the cave where the hermit lived 4 kilometers away from where you are staying now. Between the 11th and the 14th century, many churches and complexes were established. Of course, the most important is the one that you are about to enter. Take a deep breath and allow your imagination to take you back through centuries of history. Exploring this place will give you a very good perspective of the history of Bulgaria. You will learn about the origin of the ancient Bulgarians, the adoption of Christianity, the Middle Ages, the Ottoman period, the Bulgarian monarchy, the participation of Bulgaria in the World Wars, the Communism era, and many more.

So, when you are ready, let’s get into it.