Rila Monastery *
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Country	Bulgaria
Type	Cultural
Criteria	vi
Reference	216
Region **	Europe
Inscription history
Inscription	1983 (7th Session)
Location in Bulgaria
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List ** Region as classified by UNESCO

The Monastery of Saint Ivan of Rila, better known as the Rila Monastery (Bulgarian: Рилски манастир, Rilski manastir) is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. It is situated in the southwestern Rila Mountains, 117 km (73 mi) south of the capital Sofia in the deep valley of the Rilska River at an elevation of 1,147 m (3,763 ft) above sea level. The monastery is named after its founder, the hermit Ivan of Rila (876 - 946 AD).

Founded in the 10th century, the Rila Monastery is regarded as one of Bulgaria's most important cultural, historical and architectural monuments and is a key tourist attraction for both Bulgaria and Southern Europe. In 2008 alone, it attracted 900,000 visitors.^[1] The monastery is depicted on the reverse of the 1 lev banknote, issued in 1999.^[2]

History[link]

The interior of the monastery with the Tower of Hrelyu visible

It is traditionally thought that the monastery was founded by the hermit St. Ivan of Rila, whose name it bears, during the rule of Tsar Peter I (927-968). The hermit actually lived in a cave without any material possessions not far from the monastery's location, while the complex was built by his students, who came to the mountains to receive their education.

Ever since its creation, the Rila Monastery has been supported and respected by the Bulgarian rulers. Large donations were made by almost every tsar of the Second Bulgarian Empire up until the Ottoman Conquest, making the monastery a cultural and spiritual centre of Bulgarian national consciousness that reached its apogee from the 12th to the 14th century.

The Rila Monastery was reerected at its present place by a local feudal lord named Hrelyu Dragovola during the 14th century. The oldest buildings in the complex date from this period were—the Tower of Hrelyu (1334–1335) and a small church just next to it (1343). The bishop's throne and the rich-engraved gates of the monastery also belong to the time. However, the arrival of the Ottomans in the end of the 14th century was followed by numerous raids and a destruction of the monastery in the middle of the 15th century.

Thanks to donations by the Russian Orthodox Church and more precisely the Rossikon monastery of Mount Athos, the Rila Monastery was rebuilt in the end of the 15th century by three brothers from the region of Kyustendil, who moved Ivan of Rila's relics into the complex.

The complex acted as a depository of Bulgarian language and culture in the ages of foreign rule. During the time of the Bulgarian National Revival (18th-19th century), it was destroyed by fire in 1833 and then reconstructed between 1834 and 1862 with the help of wealthy Bulgarians from the whole country, under the famous architect Alexi Rilets. The erection of the residential buildings began in 1816, while a belfry was added to the Tower of Hrelyu in 1844. Neofit Rilski founded a school in the monastery during the period.

The monastery complex, regarded as one of the foremost masterpieces of Bulgarian National Revival architecture, was declared a national historical monument in 1976 and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. Since 1991 it has been entirely subordinate to the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

On 25 May 2002, Pope John Paul II visited Rila monastery during his pilgrimage to Bulgaria. He was greeted by the Monastery's igumen, Bishop Ioan, who had been an observer at the Second Vatican Council.

Architecture[link]

The whole complex occupies an area of 8,800 m² and is rectangular in form, centred around the inner yard (3,200 m²), where the tower and the main church are situated.

Main church[link]

The main church of the monastery was erected in the middle of the 19th century. Its architect is Pavel Ioanov, who worked on it from 1834 to 1837. The church has five domes, three altars and two side chapels, while one of the most precious items inside is the gold-plated iconostasis, famous for its wood-carving, the creation of which took five years to four handicraftsmen. The frescoes, finished in 1846, are the work of many masters from Bansko, Samokov and Razlog, including the famous brothers Zahari Zograf and Dimitar Zograf. The church is also home to many valuable icons, dating from the 14th to the 19th century. The use of cameras and video recorders is forbidden inside the main church

Residential part[link]

The four-storey (not counting the basement) residential part of the complex consists of 300 chambers, four chapels, an abbot's room, a kitchen (noted for its uncommonly large vessels), a library housing 250 manuscripts and 9,000 old printed matters, and a donor's room. The exterior of the complex, with its high walls of stone and little windows, resembles a fortress more than a monastery.

Monastery museum[link]

The museum of the Rila Monastery is particularly famous for housing Rafail's Cross, a wooden cross made from a whole piece of wood (81×43 cm). It was whittled down by a monk named Rafail using fine burins and magnifying lenses to recreate 104 religious scenes and 650 miniature figures. Work on this piece of art lasted not less than 12 years before it was completed in 1802, when the monk lost his sight. The use of cameras and video recorders is forbidden inside the museum.

Gallery[link]

Views from the monastery

The entrance of the monastery   View of the courtyard and the arked outer corridors   Outer corridor with frescoes   Detail of one of the frescoes

Burials[link]

• Boris III of Bulgaria

Bibliography[link]

• Emil Ivanov: Das Bildprogramm des Narthex im Rila-Kloster in Bulgarien unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Wasserweihezyklen, Diss., Erlangen, 2002.
• Emil Ivanov: Rila-Kloster, Artikel: RGG⁴, Bd. 7, 2007, Sp. 520.

References[link]

• "Официален сайт на Рилския манастир "Свети Иван Рилски" в България" (in Bulgarian). http://www.rilamonastery.pmg-blg.com/. Retrieved 2007-02-19. 
• "Рилски манастир (манастир "Св. Иван Рилски"), Църковен вестник, брой 10 за 2003 година" (in Bulgarian). Pravoslavieto.com. http://www.pravoslavieto.com/manastiri/rilski/index.htm. Retrieved 2007-02-19. 
• "Рилски манастир" (in Bulgarian). BulgarianMonastery.com. http://www.bulgarianmonastery.com/bg/rila_monastery.html. Retrieved 2007-02-19. 

Further reading[link]

• Dechkov Hristov, Hristo; et al. (1959). The Rila Monastery: history, architecture, frescoes, woodcarvings. Sofia: Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. 
• Anchev, Ancho; et al. (1968). Rilski manastir. Rilʹskiĭ monastyrʹ. Das Rila Kloster. Le Monastère de Rila. The Rila Monastery. Nauka i Izkustvo. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Rila Monastery

Wikisource has original text related to this article: Alexi Rilets, chief architect of the Rila Monastery

• Rila Monastery at the UNESCO World Heritage website
• 3D Panoramas of Rila Monastery
• Rila Monastery at BulgarianMonastery.com
• Rila Monastery at Bulgaria.com
• Rila Monastery at Pravoslavieto.com (Bulgarian)
• Photos from Rila Monastery
• Pictures from Rila Monastery

Coordinates: 42°08′00″N 23°20′25″E / 42.1333333°N 23.34028°E / 42.1333333; 23.34028

v t e World Heritage Sites in Bulgaria Boyana Church · Madara Rider · Nesebar (Nessebar) · Pirin National Park · Rila Monastery · Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo · Srebarna Nature Reserve · Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak · Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari

v t e Municipality of Rila Capital: Rila Villages Padala Pastra Rila Monastery Smochevo Landmarks Rila Mountains Culture Rila Monastery Babinska mahala Notable people John of Rila Georgi Drenikov

Malyovitsa Peak,Rila

Rila (Bulgarian: Рила, pronounced [ˈriɫɐ]) is a mountain range in southwestern Bulgaria and the highest mountain range of Bulgaria and the Balkans, with its highest peak being Musala at 2,925 m. The massif is also the sixth highest mountain in Europe (when each mountain is represented by its highest peak only), coming after the Caucasus, the Alps, Sierra Nevada, the Pyrenees and Mount Etna, and the highest between the Alps and the Caucasus. The larger part of the mountain is occupied by the Rila National Park.

The name Rila is believed to be of Thracian origin and is thought to mean "well-watered mountain", owing to Rila's abundance of glacial lakes (about 200) and hot springs in fault areas at the base of the mountain. Some of the Balkans' longest and deepest rivers originate from Rila, including the Maritsa, the Iskar and the Mesta.

Culturally, Rila is famous for the Rila Monastery, Bulgaria's largest and most important monastery founded in the 10th century by Saint John of Rila.

Geology[link]

Rila is a dome-shaped horst mountain, part of the Balkans' oldest land, the Macedono-Thracian Massif. It was formed by granite and gneiss rocks and crystal schists during the Paleozoic (250,000,000 years ago). Rila's alpine relief was formed during the Pleistocene by a series of glacial periods. During the most recent, so-called Würm glaciation, 10-12,000 years ago the permanent snow line was at 2,100 m above sea level. Above this line glaciers radically changed the existing relief, carving out deep cirques, sharp pyramid-shaped peaks, rock pinnacles, various valleys, moraines and other typical glacial formations.

Borders and climate[link]

Rila has an area of 2,400 km². The dome of the mountain rises over the surrounding mountain valleys, with the Borovets Saddle (1,305 m) connecting the main Musala Ridge with the Shipchan and Shumnitsa ridges that connect to the Ihtiman Sredna Gora mountains through the Gate of Trajan pass. The Yundola Saddle (1,375 m) and the Abraham Saddle (1,295 m) link Rila with the Rhodopes to the east, while the connection with Pirin is the Predel Saddle (1,140 m), the one with Verila being the Klisura Saddle (1,025 m).

The climate is typically alpine, with 2,000 mm of precipitation on Musala yearly, about half of which is snow. The lowest average temperature ever measured in February on Musala is –11.6 °C and the absolute minimum is -31.2 °C. An average temperature for August is 5.4 °C, the maximum being 18.7 °C.

Map of Rila mountains in English

Flora & Fauna[link]

The flora of Rila contains three local endemics which are seen only in this mountain. These plants are Primula deorum (with the largest population), Rheum rhaponticum and Alchemilla pawlowskii. In the mountain thrives also 36 plants as Campanula lanata, Centaurea mannagettae which are endemic for the Balkans. Some of the plant species have survived the last glacial period by turning into relict organisms. There is also many similar animals. Some of the members of this kingdom which lives in Rila are in danger. Such animals are Barbus cyclolepis (which is rare because of the habitat loss and the river pollution), Triturus alpestris, Spermophilus citellus (European Ground Squirrel) and others.

List of mammals in National park Rila[link]

There are 48 mammal species in National park Rila

Insectivores

• Eastern European hedgehog

• Shrew

Bats

• Bats

Lagomorphs

• European rabbit

Rodents

• Wild mice

• Vole

• Water vole

• Spermophilus citellus

Carnivores

• Grey wolf

• Red fox

• Marten

• European pine marten

• Eurasian badger

• Least weasel

• European otter

• Brown bear

• Wild cat

Even-toed ungulates

• Wild boar

• Roe deer

• Red deer

• Alpine ibex

• Wild goat

Subdivision[link]

The average annual precipitation in Rila is several times the average for Bulgaria

The Seven Rila Lakes

The source of the Maritsa under Marishki vrah

Rila as seen from Kostenets

The Rila Monastery

Rila is subdivided into several parts depending on their geographic position.

• East Rila or the Musala Ridge is the highest and vastest part. The highest peak, as well as 12 of the 18 peaks over 2,700 m are located there — Musala, Yastrebets, Irechek, Deno Mancho, etc. The Musala Lakes lie in this part of Rila, as well as Ledeno ezero ("Icy Lake"), the highest lake of the Balkans at 2,709 m. Other lakes in East Rila include the Maritsa Lakes and the Ropalitsa Lakes. The renowned mountain resort of Borovets is also located in this part of the mountain.
• Central Rila or the Skakavets Ridge is the smallest part (1/10 of the total area), most famous for the glacial lakes — the Fish Lakes, Dzhendem Lakes, Monastery Lakes. The largest glacial lake of the Balkans, Smradlivo ezero ("Stinky Lake") with an area of 21.2 km² is located in Central Rila, as well as the peaks Kanarata, Cherna polyana, Malak Skakavets and Golyam Skakavets, Rilets. The ridge of the Skakavtsi (the peaks of Golyam Skakavets and Malak Skakavets, Pchelina and Sveti Duh) rises isolated between the Levi and Beli Iskar rivers. Another well-known ridge in the area is the one of Marinkovitsa and Vodniya chal, extending to the forest reserve of Kobilino branishte.
• Northwest Rila takes up 25% of Rila's total area. The highest peak is Golyam Kupen at 2,731 m. The Seven Rila Lakes are an important landmark in this part, as well as the many remote peaks and small lakes.
• Southwest Rila or the Kapatnik Ridge occupies 30% of Rila and has the oldest reserve of Bulgaria. Apart from its small northern part, Southwest Rila does not have the alpine appearance of the other parts.

Peaks in Rila[link]

• Musala — 2,925 m
• Malka Musala (Lower Musala) — 2,902 m
• Ovcharets (Yurushki chal) — 2,768 m
• Golyam Kupen — 2,731 m
• Malyovitsa — 2,729 m
• Popova kapa — 2,704 m
• Malka Malyovitsa — 2,698 m
• Lopushki vrah — 2,698 m
• Lovnitsa — 2,695 m
• Kanarata — 2,691 m
• Orlovets — 2,685 m
• Pastri slap (Aladzha slap) – 2,684 m
• Zliya zab — 2,678 m
• Eleni vrah — 2,654 m
• Kovach (Nalbant) vrah - 2,640 m
• Suha Vapa vrah - 2,638 m
• Ravni vrah (Ravni chal) — 2,637 m
• Belmeken — 2,627 m
• Kamilata — 2,621 m
• Golyam Mechi vrah — 2,618 m
• Dvuglav — 2,605 m
• Golyam Mramorets (Golyam Mermer) — 2,598 m
• Dodov (Drushlevishki) vrah — 2,597 m
• Kozi vrah — 2,587 m
• Iglata — 2,575 m
• Mechit — 2,568 m
• Ushite — 2,560 m
• Ptichi vrah (Ashiklar) — 2,536 m
• Malak Mechit — 2,535 m
• Yanchov vrah — 2,481 m
• Malak Mechi vrah — 2,474 m
• Strazhnik (Kurdzhilak) — 2,469 m
• Budachki kamak — 2,447 m
• Kukov vrah — 2,411 m
• Tsarev vrah — 2,376 m
• Ivan Vazov (Damga) — 2,342 m
• Markov kamak (Gorna Kadiitsa) — 2,342 m
• Malka Popova kapa — 2,180 m
• Treshtenik — 2,020 m
• Angelov vrah
• Malak Lopushki vrah
• Malak Mramorets (Malak Mermer)

Honour[link]

Rila Point on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after Rila Mountain.

Panoramic views[link]

Winter panorama of Northwestern Rila seen from Yastrebets

Panorama of the Seven Rila Lakes circus in Rila mountain

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Rila

• Rila National Park website
• The illegal Panichishte resort in Rila
• Pictures from Rila mountain

Coordinates: 42°08′N 23°33′E / 42.133°N 23.55°E / 42.133; 23.55

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