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taboo5 | profile | all galleries >> Bulgaria >> Bachkovo Monastery, Bulgaria (May 2006) tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Bachkovo Monastery, Bulgaria (May 2006)

The Bachkovo Monastery of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin is the second largest monastery in Bulgaria and one of the oldest. It lies in the valley of the Chepelare River about 10 kilometers south of Assenovgrad. The monastery is surrounded the Rhodopi Mountains. It is one of the most visited monasteries in Bulgaria. The Georgian Byzantine military commander, Grigorii Bakuriani and his brother Abazii, founded it in 1083. It was their wish that Byzantines never govern the monastery. Around the 15th-16th century, Turks destroyed the monastery. Only the ossuary church (1083) survived, not far from the monastery. The rebuilding of the monastery began in 1601. In 1830, the Church of St. Nicholas was built and new residential quarters were erected next to it. Among the remarkable art in the monastery is the church icon of the Holy Virgin, brought from Georgia, which is famous for “its wonder-making” power. Today, a museum has been established at the Monastery.
Bachk. Monastery Cover Pg.jpg
Bachk. Monastery Cover Pg.jpg		 Map of Bulgaria with a star indicating Bachkovo Manastery's location.
Map of Bulgaria with a star indicating Bachkovo Manastery's location.		 Entrance of Bachkovo Monastery (S.E. of Plovdiv). It is the 2nd largest monastery in Bulgaria.
Entrance of Bachkovo Monastery (S.E. of Plovdiv). It is the 2nd largest monastery in Bulgaria.		 Bulgarian peasant woman at the Bachkovo Monastery.
Bulgarian peasant woman at the Bachkovo Monastery.
View of the Holy Mother of God Church (built in 1604) at the Bachkovo Monastery.
View of the Holy Mother of God Church (built in 1604) at the Bachkovo Monastery.		 Rooftop and dome of the Holy Mother of God Church.
Rooftop and dome of the Holy Mother of God Church.		 Sick people hoping to be cured at the Bachkovo Monastery.
Sick people hoping to be cured at the Bachkovo Monastery.		 A monk at the Bachkovo Monastery.
A monk at the Bachkovo Monastery.
The large monastery panorama (wall painting) painted by Alexi Atanasov in 1846.
The large monastery panorama (wall painting) painted by Alexi Atanasov in 1846.		 Close-up of the monastery panorama (that guy needs to stop talking on his cell phone)!
Close-up of the monastery panorama (that guy needs to stop talking on his cell phone)!		 Another view of the Holy Mother of God Church.
Another view of the Holy Mother of God Church.		 A dark shadow of me in the foreground of church.
A dark shadow of me in the foreground of church.
Waterfall at the Bachkovo Monastery.
Waterfall at the Bachkovo Monastery.

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