St. Ivan of Rila Chiprovski Monastery in Chiprovtsi
St. Ivan of Rila Chiprovski Monastery in Chiprovtsi
St. Ivan of Rilski Monastery, Chiprovtsi, Bulgaria
The Chiprovtsi Monastery has had a turbulent history: It was founded in the 10th century during the First Bulgarian State, but has been destroyed and rebuilt six times since: in 1412, 1688, 1806, 1828, 1837 and 1876. Most of the current structure dates from 1829. The complex includes the a stone bell-tower with an ossuary, and a small chapel, buildings with chardatsi (terraces) and wooden arches, and a cemetery.
A wooden gazebo marks the turn off for the Chiprovtsi Monastery, which is located about 6 km away from Chiprovtsi towards Montana. It is a working monastery with one priest in residence. He is welcoming to guests; and the fantastic view from the stone bell-tower, the ossuary of victims of the 1688 uprising, the and beautiful wood carved icons in the church of St. Ivan of Rila are not to be missed.
Monasteries are self-sufficient on the gardens and animals kept by the priest, but purchasing a few beeswax candles to light at an altar are greatly appreciated.
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Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Chiprovtsi - updated May 2024
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Chiprovtsi Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
