The story of Monastery of Saint John of Rila

In a deep valley of the Rila Mountains, 117 km south of Sofia, the largest and most famous Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria looks more like a fortress than a monastery, with its high stone walls and little windows. It is named after its founder, the hermit Saint Ivan of Rila, who lived in a cave nearby without any possessions, while his students built the monastery in the 10th century.

The oldest building you can see is the Tower of Hrelja, from 1334–1335. In 1469 Ivan of Rila's relics were brought here from Tarnovo.

After a fire in 1833, it was reconstructed between 1834 and 1862. Step into the main church to see its gold-plated, carved iconostasis, which took four craftsmen five years, and frescoes by masters including the brothers Zahari and Dimitar Zograf. In the museum, look for Rafail's Cross: a monk carved 104 scenes and 650 tiny figures into it over at least 12 years, finishing in 1802, when he lost his sight.