The Troyan Monastery
The Troyan Monastery as a monastery complex is the third in size in Bulgaria, a remarkable monument of culture of national significance. It is situated in the beautiful valley of the river Cherni Osam, 10 km south from the town of Troyan.
According to the historical documents, the monastery was first founded in 1600 and reconstructed in the period 1830 – 1865 in its present look. As an architectural style of the buildings it is associated with the School of Revival.
The most significant architectural and cultural monument is the main church “The Assumption of Virgin Mary”, which was built in the period 1835-1837 by the master Konstantin of the village of Peshtera, Kyustendil region, at the place of an older church.
The church is with a cross dome, it is massive, built by stones with belts of two lines of bricks. The interior and the exterior of the church are painted in frescos by Zahari Zograf by the Samokov School. The wall-paintings in the church are a rich gallery of the art of Zahari Zograf (1810 – 1853), a top of his art. Along with the presented Bible scenes, he had left a wonderful self-portrait, portraits of donors, the images of St. Cyril and St. Methodius, images of Bulgarian patriarchs and tsars, saints, and for the first time Bulgarian saints were depicted. The walls of the temple are divided into 360 fields, in which various scenes and images are painted. The Bulgarian fine arts do not know such wealth and variation of themes and plots from the Age of Revival (18th – 19th century).The iconostasis, placed in the naos of the church, was carved in 1839 and is a model of the Tryavna Wood-carving School.
According to the historical documents, the monastery was first founded in 1600 and reconstructed in the period 1830 – 1865 in its present look. As an architectural style of the buildings it is associated with the School of Revival.
The most significant architectural and cultural monument is the main church “The Assumption of Virgin Mary”, which was built in the period 1835-1837 by the master Konstantin of the village of Peshtera, Kyustendil region, at the place of an older church.
The church is with a cross dome, it is massive, built by stones with belts of two lines of bricks. The interior and the exterior of the church are painted in frescos by Zahari Zograf by the Samokov School. The wall-paintings in the church are a rich gallery of the art of Zahari Zograf (1810 – 1853), a top of his art. Along with the presented Bible scenes, he had left a wonderful self-portrait, portraits of donors, the images of St. Cyril and St. Methodius, images of Bulgarian patriarchs and tsars, saints, and for the first time Bulgarian saints were depicted. The walls of the temple are divided into 360 fields, in which various scenes and images are painted. The Bulgarian fine arts do not know such wealth and variation of themes and plots from the Age of Revival (18th – 19th century).The iconostasis, placed in the naos of the church, was carved in 1839 and is a model of the Tryavna Wood-carving School.