Bachkovo Monastery

The Bachkovo Monastery (български. Бачковски манастир, Bachkovski manastir, ქართული. პეტრიწონის მონასტერი, Petritsonis Monasteri) or Petritsoni Monastery in Bulgaria is an important monument of Christian architecture and one of the largestШаблон:Fact and oldestШаблон:Fact Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Europe. It is located on the right bank of the Chepelare River, 189 km from Sofia and 10 km south of Asenovgrad, and is directly subordinate to the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. The monastery is known and appreciated for the unique combination of Byzantine, Georgian and Bulgarian culture, united by the common faith.

History

The monastery was founded by Prince Gregorios Pakourianos or Grigol Bakurianis-dze, prominent Georgian statesman, military commander in Byzantine service, in 1083. He set up a seminary for Georgian youth at the monastery. The curriculum in the first place included Christian religion, as well as mathematics, history, music. A book of the X century, the so-called "Shatberdi Collection" (copied in Shatberdi Monastery, Klarjeti) must have been a student handbook, including the literature an educated man had to know at that time - theology, natural science, philosophy, world history and history of Georgia ("The Convert of Kartli")

Since the 13th century, Georgians lost their domination over the monastery, but nevertheless, Georgian traditions were preserved until the beginning of 14th century. However, there's also another version about Pakourianos's origin. Anna Comnena, an 11 c. A.D. historian, knew Pakourianos personally and stated in Alexiada that he was Armenian by descent but Orthodox by faith.

During the time of the Second Bulgarian Empire, Bachkovo Monastery was patronized by Tsar Ivan Alexander, which is evidenced by an image of him on the archs of the ossuary's narthex. Since the 11th century, a school was housed in the monastery.

It is believed that the founder of Tarnovo Literary School and last patriarch of the mediaeval Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Euthymius, was exiled by the Turks and died in the monastery in the early 15th century.

Although the monastery survived the first waves of Turkish invasion in Bulgarian lands, it was later looted and destroyed, but restored near the end of the 15th century. The refectory, whose mural paintings by an anonymous author bear a significant artistic value, was reconstructed in 1601 and the Church of Virgin Mary, still preserved today, was finished in 1604.

donor's mural portrait of Bulgarian tsar Ivan Alexander in the ossuary]] Bachkovo Monastery is the final resting place of both Patriarch Euthymius (1330–1404) and Patriarch Cyril (1953–1971).

Complex

The only part that has survived from the monastery's original structure is the ossuary, which has a specific architectural design and ancient frescoes, and is situated 300 m away from the contemporary monastery complex. It looks inaccessible when viewed from the north. The building has two storeys, of which only one can be seen from the south. From architectural point of view the plan of the ossuary looks is foreign to the local traditions. It is reminiscent of Syrian-Palestine mortuaries with its two floors of identical design. Each floor has a narthex, a single nave and an apse. The ground floor is intended for a crypt and has 14 burial niches. The apse on the upper floor, the church proper (known as The Holy Trinity Church), is semicircular on the inside and pentagonal on the outside with 3 openings to let some daylight into the altarplace. The building is vaulted. The ossuary is interesting with the methods of its construction. It represents a mixture of Armenian, Georgian and Byzantine building traditions. The facade is attractively diversified with 8 blind niches and a succession of layers of brick and stone, joined together with mortar.

The Cathedral Church of the Virgin Mary (dating from 1604) is the place where a valuable icon of the Virgin Mary Eleusa from 1310 is kept (brought from Georgia). According to the legend, the icon is wonder-working, attracting many pilgrims. This church was built in the place of the monastery's oldest church destroyed by the Turks. The building has survived to this day in its original structure of a three- aisled, cruciform domed basilica with three pentagonal apses. A silver- gilded cross rising from the dome bears the inscription "Always win!" in Georgian. The murals in the spacious narthex were painted in 1643 and depict a life-size portraits of Georgi and his son Constantine, who were high-ranking notables in Istanbul and donors to the church. The frescoes in the nave were painted much later, in 1850, by Joan Mosch (master Mosko). The two central icons in the iconostasis are exactly dated - 1793. these the icons of The Holy Virgin and Jesus Christ. The woodwork - iconostasis, bishop's throne and the like, dates from the 18th century.

Another medieval church of the monastery is the Saint Archangels Church dating back to the 12th century(not known for sure), the vaulted open narthex of which was painted by Zahari Zograf in 1841. The inside of the church was painted by the artist Joan Mosch in 1846.

The museum of the monastery has a rich exhibition of church plate, icons, books, the sword of Friedrich Barbarossa, a sultan's firman from 1452, a wood-carved cross with miniatures. A fresco of the Doomsday, painted by Zahari Zograf in 1850, is retained in the Saint Nicholas Church and is thought of as one of the most interesting works of art of the Bulgarian National Revival.

The broad branches of a Diasperus Lotus tree, brought from Georgia more than two centuries ago, stretch over the courtyard.

The “Panorama” mural of the Bachkovo monastery

The “Panorama” mural, which is running along the outside wall of the refectory, represents the history of Bachkovo monastery pictorially. It provides a bird’s eye view of the monastery with all the surrounding buildings at the time of the painting. Under the influence of different atmospheric conditions like rain, snow, fog, cold, wind, snow, the biggest scenic mural on the Balkan peninsula has preserved the freshness of its paint. The painter Alexi Atanasov, a Bulgarian from the town of Negush, worked in this region at the end of XIX c. We can determine the year of the decoration by an inscription that existed on the outside walls of the western monastery wing, which was burned in 1902. This inscription read: “The following depiction was finished under the ministry of Abbot Cyril on 22 July 1846. The depiction has been made by my own hand, Alexi Atanasov from Negush.” As a model, the painter used a copper print that was made in Vienna with the financial help of the merchant from Samokov, Petar Rana, in 1807. Alexi Atanasov also added valuable details and pictorial elements of his own. The “Panorama” mural gives us rich information about the architectural ensemble of the monastery in the XIX c. The northern facades of the churches St Archangels Michael and Gabriel and The Holy Virgin, were painted too. The monastic buildings with their big buttresses on the river side can be seen. Central place was given to the founders of the monastery, who were depicted here in monastic attire. The Emperor Alexius Comnenus is among them. At their side there are also the donors from the XIV c. George and Gabriel. The surroundings of the monastery weren’t omitted either: the nunnery in Assenovgrad; Assen’s fortress; the chapels near the monastery. The painter gave us a good idea from ethnographical point of view, about the clothing of the aristocracy from Plovdiv and the festal clothing of the women in the Rhodopes, through the group of the people that are following the Procession of the Miraculous Icon. Details, such as the well in the northern courtyard and the belfry in The church of the Archangels, weren’t missed either. Scenes from the passionals of the two Saints George and Demetrius are depicted at the side of the “Panorama”.

The “Panorama” mural is exceptionally interesting not only because of its sheer size, but also because of its artistic impact and craftsmanship. The paints were made after a recipe by the painter himself, probably from grasses mixed with egg emulsion. The used painting technique is “fresco buono”[1], which is a mural art of painting that is applied on a smooth moist plaster. When the water evaporates the images emerge on the surface. The implication of this technique, together with the great deal of artistic mastery, is the reason why these murals look so fresh even today.

Trivia

  • Bachkovo Monastery is one of the locations in the 2005 bestseller novel The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.


External links

Post a comment
Tips & Hints
Arrange By:
Kiki Kentzidou
8 September 2018
A must to visit if you are in the area! Old monastery and a pleasant area to visit, have a walk and in the end to enjoy some nice food nearby!
Ele R
26 August 2013
The second biggest monastery in Bulgaria. One of the most beautiful in the great Rodopa mountain. Highly recommended for visit!
Euvie Ivanova
29 August 2015
Beautiful historic place. It gets busy on the weekends, so if you want a more serene atmosphere, come on a weekday. Open until 5pm.
Dan Millard
5 December 2016
An amazing place- really mystical and beautiful. Worth the short drive from Plovdiv to get there!
Nataly NG
30 November 2015
Чистый воздух, видны горы и конечно же сама атмосфера Монастыря впечатляет
Пламен Назаров
Едно място,което е немислимо да подминеш.Не са го правили нито врагове,нито безверници,какво остава любопитен турист да го стори.Ако живеете до Пловдив&искате бърза екскурзия до интересно място-това е
Load more comments
foursquare.com
8.8/10
Alla Panova, Anatoly P. and 52,752 more people have been here
Map
3.5km from 86, 4251 Bachkovo, Bulgaria Get directions
Sun 10:00 AM–7:00 PM
Mon 11:00 AM–5:00 PM
Tue Noon–5:00 PM
Wed 11:00 AM–Noon
Thu-Fri 11:00 AM–5:00 PM

Bachkovo Monastery on Foursquare

Bachkovo Monastery on Facebook

Hotels nearby

See all hotels See all
Apartment Bonjour

starting $0

Imperial Plovdiv Hotel & SPA

starting $73

Alliance Hotel

starting $41

Ramada Plovdiv Trimontium

starting $84

Rodopi Hotel

starting $24

Park Hotel Plovdiv

starting $47

Recommended sights nearby

See all See all
Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Asenova krepost

Asenova krepost (български. Асенова крепост, 'Asen's Fortress') is

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Roman forum of Philippopolis

The Roman forum of Philippopolis (Bulgarian: Римски форум на Пловдив

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Great Basilica, Plovdiv

The Bishop's Basilica of Philippopolis, also known as the Great

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Roman theatre of Philippopolis

The Roman theatre of Philippopolis (Latin: Theatrum Trimontense;

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Alyosha Monument, Plovdiv

Alyosha (an affectionate diminutive of Aleksey) is an 11-metre

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Church of the Holy Mother of God, Plovdiv

The Church of the Holy Mother of God (Bulgarian: Църква Света

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Stadium of Philippopolis

The Stadium of Philippopolis was the ancient Roman stadium of

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Dzhumaya Mosque

Dzhumaya Mosque (Bulgarian: Джумая джамия) is located in Plovdiv, Pl

Similar tourist attractions

See all See all
Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Rozhen Monastery

The Rozhen Monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Pochayiv Lavra

Holy Dormition Pochayiv Lavra (ua. Свято-Успенська Почаївська Ла

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Humor Monastery

Humor Monastery located in Mănăstirea Humorului, about 5 km north of t

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Aladzha Monastery

Aladzha Monastery (Bulgarian: Аладжа манастир) is a medieval Orth

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Seven Altars Monastery

The Seven Altars (Bulgarian: Седемте престола, Sedemte prestola), off

See all similar places