Making our way on the ABM (Another Bloody Monastery) RouteJan 26, 2009
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The Rila Monastery
And again,...
Frescos outside the monastery, under the arched overhang
Carved cross with hundreds of figures on it
1/26/09
Off we went to arguably the most famous Bulgarian landmark, the Rila Monastery. This monastery was the first Christian Monastery built in Bulgaria, founded by a hermit living in the mountains surrounding it (yes, hermits are not only found in Monte Python’s Holy Grail). It was rebuilt in the 1300’s after a fire, and managed to survive the Ottoman (Muslim) rule due in part to its isolated area, and continues to provide services in the Bulgarian Orthodox religion to this day. Not only is the architecture stunning, with its curved lines and bright colors, but the frescoes covering the outer and inner walls of the building are spectacular. The museum also proved to be quite interesting, as many other countries have donated religious icons to the monastery, so there is quite a collection of gold embroidered robes and whatnot. But our favorite part, of course, was an exquisite hand-carved wooden cross, perhaps the most spectacular example of Bulgarian woodworking we had seen to date. The cross is only about a foot and a half tall, but contains HUNDREDS of tiny human figures engaged in various scenes related to the Bible.
