Monks and Fried Dough - The best mistake we ever made

 



We headed out of Sofia Bulgaria around noon on a glorious sunny day and plugged in google maps. But we didn't plug in the audio... so we missed the exit we were suppose to take to Skopje. A few swear words were spoken. But Stephen looked at the map and noticed that the Rila Monastery, as seen on Rick Steeve's Europe was not far away, so we went for it.




 Up and up and Up we went through villages that hadn't changed much in the past century. But it was so worth the ride.  It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and here's their blurb:

Rila Monastery

Rila Monastery was founded in the 10th century by St John of Rila, a hermit canonized by the Orthodox Church. His ascetic dwelling and tomb became a holy site and were transformed into a monastic complex which played an important role in the spiritual and social life of medieval Bulgaria. Destroyed by fire at the beginning of the 19th century, the complex was rebuilt between 1834 and 1862. A characteristic example of the Bulgarian Renaissance (18th–19th centuries), the monument symbolizes the awareness of a Slavic cultural identity following centuries of occupation. 

Outstanding Universal Value

Brief synthesis

In its complicated ten-century history the Rila monastery has been the hub of a strong spiritual and artistic influence over the Eastern Orthodox world during medieval times (11th-14th c.). Under Ottoman rule (1400-1878) the monastery influenced the development of the culture and the arts of all Christian nations within the Ottoman Empire. With its architecture, frescos etc. it represents a masterpiece of the creative genius of the Bulgarian people.

Architectural styles have been preserved on the property as historical monuments of considerable time span (11th-19th c.). The basic architectural appearance is now one of the peak examples of building craftsmanship of the Balkan peoples from the early 19th c. As such it has exerted considerable influence on architecture and aesthetics within the Balkan area.

Criterion (vi): Rila Monastery is considered a symbol of the 19th Century Bulgarian Renaissance which imparted Slavic values upon Rila in trying to reestablish an uninterrupted historic continuity








The oldest building




Best thing, they served freed dough with powdered sugar or Nutella (I opted for the Nutella). 










It was a long ride home, over a few mountain passes, across the border into the setting sun. Lovely







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