Monasteries in Bulgaria and their role in Bulgarian history

“The roads for us are Bulgarian monasteries, the honorary remnants of the stronghold, in which the living Bulgarian national spirit was preserved, for a long time were evidence of the father’s testament and the nest from which the eagles flew out - notifying the dawn of the Bulgarian awakening. They are a living and moving story of one era of such a glorious and so grim "

Ivan Vazov

The first monasteries on Bulgarian lands were created even before the creation of the Bulgarian state, many of them were founded during the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great, when Christianity became the official religion in the Roman Empire.
Bulgaria became a Christian state in the 9th century. Then it was one of the most powerful states in Europe. Prince Boris I-Michael (Baptist) carried out the baptism of Bulgaria without hesitation. So three tribes united: the Prabolgar, Slavs and Thracians.
Then Bulgarian monasteries were created - the preservation and strengthening of the Orthodox faith. But not only to preserve religion. They create philosophers and writers. Beyond the walls, with the exception of religion, it creates the culture of our people, our national identity, which helps us to survive for centuries. A large monastery was founded by Bulgarian history.
During the Second Bulgarian Kingdom, intensive construction of the monastery complexes continues, and during this period most of the Veliko Tarnovo monasteries were founded. In the XIII. most monasteries are also being created in the Sofia district. Then the beginning of the grandiose complex Mala Sveta Gora.
Hard times for Bulgarian monasteries came during the Ottoman yoke. Most of the masterpieces of cult Christian construction were on fire and destroyed. From literary and cultural centers and Christian schools, monasteries turned into a place of concentration of the Bulgarian national identity and fortresses of faith. In the monasteries remote from the main roads and centers of the Ottoman Empire, church-religious and educational activities continued to develop. Moreover, they become centers of the national liberation movement.
To date, there are over one hundred and sixty monasteries in Bulgaria. They are unique monuments of architecture, painting, wood carving and icon painting, a peculiar reflection of life, culture, architecture of the creative genius of the Bulgarian.



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