Rila monastery

The Rila Monastery was first declared a national museum in 1961, and later on, 1983 it was announced a UNESCO monument. It is situated 100 km to the east of the Bulgarian capital Sofia. Most important of the monastery is the fact that it is the biggest monastery complex on the Balkans. It was founded by Ivan Rilski (a Bulgarian Saint) in 10th century and is situated in the north-west part of the Rila Mountain at an altitude of 1100 m. This monastery is an impressive monument of the Bulgarian Middle Ages and Revival architecture and art of painting. It used to be an important Christian, cultural and educational center. The Hrelyova Tower and the major monastery church of ‘Virgin Mary’s Birth’ are located in the monastery yard. In the four-storey residential wings there are more than 300 monk cells and four chapels. The walls and ceilings of the monastery are richly painted and engraved.