SOFIA HOLY MOUNT BALSHA MONASTERY OF SHIYAKOVTSI MONASTERY ST THEODORE STRATELATES OF ST MICHAEL KATINA MONASTERY THE ARCHANGEL OF THE HOLY FORTY MARTYRS St Gabriel the Archangel, fresco, Boyana Church, 11th century 6 ILIENTSI MONASTERY OF 7 ST ELIJAH THE PROPHET KLISURA MONASTERY OF ST PETKA ORLANDOVTSI SUHODOL MONASTERY MONASTERY OF THE 8 OF THE HOLY TRINITY THREE SAINTS DIVOTINO MONASTERY OF THE HOLY TRINITY SOFIA HOLY MOUNT – North 01 Sofia’s surrounding areas have been conditionally divided in two: this map shows the monasteries in its northern part, while those in the southern part are shown at the end of the brochure. The monasteries we present herewith are marked in red. PODGUMER MONASTERY KURILO OF ST DIMITAR MONASTERY OF ST JOHN OF RILA SESLAVTSI MONASTERY 2 OF ST NICHOLAS 1 KREMIKOVTSI MONASTERY ELESHNITSA MONASTERY OF ST GEORGE 3 OF ST VIRGIN MARY OBRADOVTSI BUHOVO BUHOVO MONASTERY MONASTERY MONASTERY OF ST OF ST MICHAEL THE 5 OF ST MINA MARY MAGDALENE ARCHANGEL CHEPINTSI MONASTERY OF THE THREE SAINTS CHELOPECH MONASTERY OF ST VIRGIN MARY 4 SOFIA GORNI BOGROV MONASTERY OF ST GEORGE 02 SOFIA HOLY MOUNT A Halo of Holiness Around the City of God’s Wisdom SOFIA HOLY MOUNT is a name given to a string of about 40 monasteries in the vicinity of Sofia, a circle of sanctity shining like a nimbus around the city that bears the name of God’s Wisdom. They were founded at various times – from the 4th to the 20th century. They are in different states of preservation – from completely destroyed to fully functioning. The common thing among them is their initial monastic vocation and the fact that they are in the gravitational field of the Bulgarian capital. These are the monasteries of Sofia City. 03 The historical development of Sofia after Often it is the laity that revive and maintain becoming capital of modern Bulgaria (1879) the monasteries or raise them from the ruins as well as the development of contemporary before the settling of monks. The citizens of transportation and communication facilities have Sofia obviously need this holy ring around their gradually drawn into the attraction field of the city. They need it not only in terms of history, big city such comparatively distant monasteries archaeology, aesthetics, natural environment, as those of Pasarel, Kokalyane, Divotino, and culture and art, but also as a community of living Eleshnitsa. monasteries, as a source of spirituality where the sacred Tradition of Orthodoxy can regain The attraction is mutual. On the one hand, the relevancy for all of us. dwellers of the monasteries look for spiritual guidance, literature, church plate, etc, in the The essence of the monasteries is not in the capital city, while, on the other hand, the city buildings, the ancient stones, the frescos, dwellers come to the urban and suburban manuscripts or iconostases. What matters is monasteries looking for contact with Orthodox the Spirit. The essence are the people; people Christianity, for spiritual advice and escape from who have devoted their lives to the Holy Spirit, the worldly spirit. personalities who have created, developed and preserved Sofia Holy Mount, who have brought The monasteries were established mainly as and continue to bring significance to it. In the places for monastic prayer and seclusion in 16th century, while praising the city of Sofia and nature. Nowadays however, the city has grown its citizens, the Bulgarian enlightener Matey and almost reached the monastery gates. Gramatik exclaimed: ‘When you hear about the Monastery gates, Dragalevtsi Monastery 04 city dwellers, do not think of the earthly people, but rather think of the people in Heaven, who had once been our fellow citizens, and now are fellow citizens of the angels.’ Monasteries are above all human faith, warm prayer, spiritual feats, moral example, living presence, evidence through life. The list of immortal personalities, who raised the building of Sofia Holy Mount through the ages includes the names of St Constantine the Great, St Athanasius the Great, Bishop Protogen of Serdica, Hosius of Corduba, St John of Rila, St King Stephan Milutin, Boyar Radivoy, St Thomas the Icon Painter, St Pimen Zograph, St Seraphim (Sobolev), Mother Maria Magdalena (Dohtorova), Bishop Partheniy, Father Dragomir of Bistritsa, Mother Dominica of Lozen and many others. The development of Sofia Holy Mount has passed through several major periods. In the Frescos, fragment, Eleshnitsa Monastery, 17th century 05 4th century ancient Serdica (the old name of The second period of flourishing was during the Sofia in the Antiquity) won recognition as an Middle Ages. In the 10th century, the relics of important Christian centre. In 343 AD, the St John of Rila were brought to Sredets city hosted the famous Council of Serdica (medieval Sofia), and a monastery was set up attended by hundreds of bishops from all over within the city borders. It is thought that the the Roman Empire. A key figure at the council great hermit lived for some time in the mountains was St Athanasius the Great. From Egypt, the near Sredets, but his glorious posthumous stay birthplace of monasticism, he brought to Europe in the city lasted for about three centuries. At the biography, written by himself, of ‘the father the time of the Second Bulgarian Empire the of monks’ St Anthony the Great. This inspiring saint’s relics were translated to the new capital book was the perfect example of monastic feat Tarnovo, but the Bulgarian Tsars remained that many followed. very active in building and supporting Sofia monasteries. This applies especially to the 14th Remains of Early Christian monasteries near century, and mostly to Ivan Alexander and Ivan Serdica have been found in the suburb of Shishman. The so-called Vitosha Holy Mount, Lozenets to the south, in Ivanyane to the west, a community of 14 abbeys with Dragalevtsi and near Buhovo to the north-east. Thus in the Monastery as the leading one, was formed in 4th–6th centuries AD there had already been a this period. ring of monasteries around the city. With the invasion of pagan tribes and peoples in the The fall of Bulgaria under Ottoman domination 7th–8th centuries (Avars, Slavs, Bulgars) these at the end of the 14th century hampered this monasteries were ruined. development but did not put an end to the spiritual 06 traditions of Sofia and its region. Examples returned to his homeland. His missionary activity from the early ages of the Ottoman rule are the resulted in the erection of 15 monasteries. Most Kremikovtsi Monastery of St George (1493), the often the Kurilo and Seslavtsi Monasteries are Ilientsi Monastery of St Elijah (1550), etc. associated with his direct involvement, but the monasteries of Dragalevtsi, Kremikovtsi, The late 16th and the early 17th centuries saw a etc., were also renovated during that time. boom of church construction in Bulgaria, a true During this period Sofia was a capital city – and profound revival of the Bulgarian spirit which seat of the Beylerbey, who governed most of was linked to the activities of St Pimen Zograph. the Balkan possessions of the Ottoman Empire. Born in Sofia in about 1540, he was taught in his During that period, Sofia was also an important native city by St Thomas the Icon Painter, after Christian spiritual centre where saints and which he spent decades as a monk at Zograf martyrs were proclaimed and a local literary Monastery on Mount Athos, and subsequently school was established. The iconostasis at Eleshnitsa Monastery, detail, 18th century 07 The 18th century was a time of stagnation, its Following the Liberation of Bulgaria, Sofia was last decades being connected with the period declared its capital (1879) and the city was of anarchy in the Ottoman Empire (the so- dominated by a worldly spirit. However, a few called time of the Kardzhali brigands), when of Sofia’s monasteries grew up during this many towns, villages and monasteries were period. Under Metropolitan Stephen, the Kurilo plundered, devastated and often burnt down by Monastery gained the status of stauropegia the Kardhzali gangs. (directly subordinated to the Holy Synod) and became an active publishing centre. In the 19th century, however, Sofia Holy Mount experienced a period of relative upsurge. That During the Communist regime (1944–1989), was the time when the monasteries in Lozen (of monasticism generally declined, but in some the Holy Saviour), Ilientsi, Kladnitsa, etc, were places the monasteries were in the ascendant erected and painted. (Klisura, Knyazhevo, Bistritsa, etc.). This 08 remarkable event in a time of persecution and widespread atheistic propaganda was due to several exceptional personalities. Saint Seraphim revived the monastery in Knyazhevo, followed by his disciple and eminent theologian, Archimandrite Seraphim (Alexiev). At the end of her life full of spiritual feats and miracles, Mother Maria contributed to the revival of Klisura Monastery near Bankya. Father Dragomir was the protagonist of the building of two monasteries in Bistritsa. Since 1989 and especially during the last decade, there has been a slow but steady trend of revival of Sofia Holy Mount. It is especially evident in Divotino, Klisura, Lozen, etc, where new promising monastic brotherhoods and sisterhoods have been formed. 09 The mutual relationship between the city and the monasteries is growing stronger. The monks and nuns organize summer camps for children and Sunday schools. The laity, local authorities, civil associations, foundations and individuals are working to improve the relevant infrastructure (roads, signboards, ecopaths) and logistics (information boards, maps, brochures, etc.). The promotion and support to the development of Sofia Holy Mount is also a strategic priority in the activities of Sofia Municipality. Floral frieze, Gorna Banya Monastery 10 KREMIKOVTSI MONASTERY OF ST GEORGE is located 2 km north of the suburb of Kremikovtsi (via an asphalt road) amidst a pine forest at the foot of the Balkan Mountains.