The Rila Monastery, a site protected by UNESCO for the quality of its icons, architecture and history, is found in the beautiful Rila National Park. It is the most emblematic symbol of Bulgarian Orthodoxy.
The monastery is located on the right bank of the Rila river in the Rila National Park. This is the most visited tourist destination in Bulgaria and is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. It occupies an area of 8800 square meters and consists of four sections, corresponding to the four cardinal points. The monastery has room for 300 monks. A well preserved tower, once belonging to the local feudal lord Hrelyo rises from the center of the monastic courtyard.
The monastery was founded by St. Ivan Rilski in the year 930, but the structure as we know it today was built in 1335, under the regency of Hrelyo. The interior defensive towers still bear his name. St. Ivan Rilski was canonized by the Orthodox Church. The monastery suffered looting and destruction under Ottoman rule. It stood as a guardian of Orthodoxy when Catholic and Protestant Churches tried to settle on Bulgarian lands during the 19th century.
The Rila Monastery is filled with gorgeous, columns, frames and paintings. The main church is considered to be the best-decorated church in Bulgaria. Its carved wooden iconastasis is stunning. The monastery is a guardian of Bulgarian identity, an emblem of resistance located in a beautiful forest, sitting among the ancient trees.
UNESCO site
Monastery
Bulgaria
Macedonia
Romania
Rilski manastir