Rila Monastery-the largest monastery complex in Bulgaria.It is situated deep in the heart of the mountains. It is a national historical reserve,is on the UNESCO world natural and cultural heritage list,is a recipient of the Golden Apple Award of F.I.J.E.T.,and is a fascinating local and international tourist site. St. Ivan Rilski or his disicples founded it in the 10th century. The existing buildings date from the 14th century, when the Hrelio Tower was erected (1335).
It took 30 years to build the current monastery.
After several plunderings and burnings,the monastery was restored in the 19th century. Many famous builders of that time contributed to the restoration-Master Pavel Ivanovich,Alexii Riletz,and master Milenko.The rich wall paintings are the work of iconographers from the Samokov and Bansko art school-Zahari Zograph,St.Dospevski,T.Vishanov,and Molerov.
The woodcarvings are representative of the typical renaissance rich relief ornaments in the Mount Athos style.Throughout the centuries,the monastery has been one of the most important cultural,scholarly and writing centers,and the home of many famous clerics.
In the 15th century,it was a literary center.Although it has been repeatedly plundered, it has a book collection numbering more than 32,000 volumes,including 9000 old typographic copies,250 manuscripts from the 11th-19th centuries,and some 100 annotation manuscripts.


The Rozhen Monastery was erected in 1220 in the foot of the Pirin Mountain,on a place where there had been ancient shrines.In the 14th century,the monastery was the center of a calligraphic school.It was a Greek convert for a period of time.It was the refuge of lane Sandanski, a national liberation leader who is buried nearby.The frescoes in the monastery ossuary date from 1662.It has unique woodcarved iconostases and the church stained glass from 1715 is the only one of its kind in Bulgaria.Rozhen is the most distinctive monastery in Southwestern Bulgaria.

The Drianovo Monastery
was founded in the begining of the 12th century.The existing buildings were erected in 1845.It has an iconostasis from 1876,and was one of the centers of national liberation upheaval;it was visited by Levski and Otetz Matei Preobrajenski.
During the April,1876 insurrection the Pop Hariton detachment engaged in several battles.The monastery was destroyed and burned,and later restored in 1880.
In the courtyard,there is a memorial ossuary of the insurgents.






The Glozhene Monastery is spectacularly perched on a cliff above the village of Glozhene in the Lovech region.It was founded in 1224,probably by the Russian prince G.Glozh,and was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt.In the 18th century,it was one of the largest scholarly centers in the region. It had a rich book collection destroyed by Greek clerics in their attempt to enforce Hellenization on the Bulgarian population.Levski visited the monastery,and V.Drumev was exiled here.The existing church dates from 1930-31;the icons are painted by Z.Zograph,St.Dospevski and others.Tourists can see the restored hiding place of Levski and V.Drumev's cell.


The Klisura Monastery was founded around 1240,restored in 1742,and burned and rebuilt.In 1862,on the teachers Cyril and Methoiu's day ,some 120 worshipers were massacred by the Turks and the monks were burned in the remains of the monastery.The iconostasis is made in the Samokov woodcarving tradition,and the icons are painted by Nikola Obraznopisov.


The Lapushanski Monastery was built of the foundations of unknown monastery in 1850;the church dates from 1835 and has 17th century Gothic church architectural elements.The icons on the iconostasis are painted by Stanislav and Nikola Dospevski.Three woodcarved iconostases are preserved.


The Cherepishki Monastery has a scenic location on top of cliffs on the Iskar river bank.It dates from the end of the 14th century and rebuilt in the beginning of the 17th century.The Cherepish Tetraevangelica originated from the monastery in the 15th century.The church dates from the beginning of the 17th century.
The 19th century wall-high woodcarved iconostasis is in
the Tryavna artistic school style and is composed of the parts of an older iconostasis.

The Bachkovo Monastery-
the second most important monastery after the Rila Monastery-was built near the village of Bachkovo,in the heart of the Rhodopes.It was founded in 1083 by the Georgian Gregorios Bakuriani.At the end of the 11th century,
the Bachkovo school of learning emerged in the monastery.
Precious icons and church plates are preserved in the museum.


The Troyan Monastery was founded
in 1600.Since the 2nd half of the 18th century it has been a major cultural and scholarly center.The Troyan Damascene(17th century) and the Second Troyan Damascene were created here.During the national liberation movement,the monastery became a revolutionary center.In 1872,Vassil Levski founded a revolutionary committee; in 1876,Hr.Ivanov-Golemia's revolutionary unit was formed.During the Russian-Turkish War the monastery helped the Russian troops.


The Batoshevski Monastery is in the village of Batoshevo in the Gabrovo region.It was founded during the reign of Tzar Michail II Assen in the 13th century,razed to the ground,and restored in 1836.It has a precious wood-carved iconostasis.


The Arbanasy Monasteries
Sveti Nikola and Sveta Bogoroditza are in the village of Arbanasi in the Veliko Tirnovo region:Sveti Nikola-dates from the Second Bulgarian Kingdom,and was burned and then restored many times;it is significant for its precious wall paintings.Sveta Bogoroditza -in 1393 it miraculously survived Turkish invasion and destruction;it was renovated and inhabited again in 1716 and has rich frescoes from 1762 and icons.




The Etropole Monastery "Varovitetz",near Etropole was founded in the 12th century and was the most important scholarly center in the northern Bulgarian lands during the Turkish rule in the 16th-17th century.The Etropole writing school emerged in the monastery.It was hiding place of Levski and other revolutionaries.

The Kapinovski Monastery,near the village of Kapinovo,Veliko Tirnovo region was founded in 1272,and was repeatedly plundered and restored.In 1794,Sophronii Vrachanski become abbot of the monastery and brought a copy of The Slav-Bulgarian History.In 1856 new two-storiedbuildings were constructed.A masterpiece woodcarved iconostasis from the old church has been preserved.




The Chiprovtzi Monastery dates from the 10th century and was razed and restored 6 times.During the Chiprovtze insurrection in 1688,the rich book collection of the monastery was destroyed.The monks actively participated in the uprisings of 1836,1837 and 1867-68;in 1876,
a battle was fought in the monastery.