Monasteries - Information about monasteries in Bulgaria

It was as early as the 4th - 5th centuries that monasteries began to be built in Bulgaria. Written documents and archaeological excavations from that time testify to the existence of several dozen monasteries raised on territories that would later be inhabited by Bulgarian people. The construction of the first monasteries followed a Near East scheme that had already established itself in some places in Europe but as early as the 6th century Byzantine plans began gradually to make their influence felt only to turn later into a major standard of constructing Eastern Orthodox monasteries.

Bulgaria adopted Christianity in 865. Prince Boris (852-889) who considered monarchism useful for purely State interests, built solid monasteries and churches inspiring respect and a sense of security, first in the capital city of Pliska and near to it. The second Christian ruler, the youngest son of Boris, Tsar Simeon (893-927), erected the new capital of Preslav and founded monasteries in remote and quiet places creating conditions for the educational and literary works of writers and Theologians. The Bulgarian monasteries were to become the foundations of the future culture and spiritual community. In about 886, Prince Boris I accommodated the disciples of Cyril and Methodius, the creators of the Slavonic-Bulgarian letters, at St. Panteleimon's Monastery built upon his orders near Preslav. One of the disciples of Cyril and Methodius, Naoum, established here the new Old-Bulgarian alphabet - the so-called Cyrillic alphabet (the bases of present-day Bulgarian letters).

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Aladja Arbanassi Bachkovo Cherepish Dryanovo Ivanovo Kapinovo Kilifarevo Kremikovtsi Rila Rozhen Shipka Sokolovo St Dimitry Bassarbovsky Transfiguration Troyan Zemen

Locations of Bulgarian Monasteries