April 17, 2020 - Flashback Friday - Rila Monastery in Bulgaria

I bet it would be kind of fun to be a virtual tour guide right now. You could show off lots of cool places to millions and millions of people, yet you don't even have to see those faces. Think of all of

the mannerisms of folks that you witness in tour groups. I can just envision all those older ladies in that Korean tour group that one Christmas season in Prague with all of their selfie sticks. I will not add any more stories for now.

Some guy at the entrance to Rila Monastery

One of my all time favorite day trips anywhere in the world was one that I took to the Rila Monastery. This monastery is about an hour outside of the capital city of Bulgaria, Sofia. I have had to take taxis from the city center area of Sofia to a tiny bus station that would make most foreign travelers feel like they were in the middle of nowhere. It gets better, though the ride is not comfortable at all. Ever been on a bus that felt less comfortable than the big yella' school bus? Ever have to go up a mountain road and nearly come to complete halt because a donkey was pulling a cart across the road? Yeah, it was like going back in time. 

Beautiful art work

Anyway, the Rila Monastery is located in the Rila mountains. This mountain range is the highest in the Balkan peninsula area. This monastery dates back to the 10th century. It was founded by a hermit, yes, a real hermit. The hermit was St. John of Rila (better known as St. Ivan of Rila), who was later canonized by the Orthodox Church. His ascetic dwelling and tomb eventually became a holy site and were transformed into a monastic complex which played a huge role in the medieval society of Bulgaria. 

This complex was destroyed by fire near the beginning of the 19th century, but was later rebuilt between 1834-1862. As we all know many, many parts of Eastern Europe have had to be rebuilt over the last few centuries. During  the time of the Ottoman Empire, which lasted nearly 500 years, Rila Monastery played a pivotal role throughout the Christian community. It largely influenced the culture and development of all the Christian nations that were under the Ottoman rule during that time. It is started that this monastery represents a masterpiece of the creative genius of the Bulgarian people. 

One of my favorite angles

Thanks to this site here (Atlas Obscura - Rila), St. John even had his own cave. Apparently this is just a little nook in the mountainside, but folks still guy there today to receive blessing. I don't know about hiking to a dark place in the side of a mountain for a blessing, but if thy will be done, then thy will be done. There are a few hundred monk cells, a huge library, and tons of medieval art that adorn the walls of this place. One can even do an extended stay and experience how the monks live for a few days. I imagine it would be an awesome experience, being in such a historical place and taking in this huge complex.

As you may understand from the reading, this is a huge tourist spot for folks that visit the country of Bulgaria. If you have a few days in the city of Sofia, then it is a must. For older folks, private car would definitely be a wiser choice. I did enjoy the bumpy ride up the mountains on the 1970s era bus. Thankfully I went once during the Spring. I just leave the peace and tranquility of this monastery. It is definitely a beautiful sight from many, many angles. The setting in the mountains makes you feel as if you are far away from civilization. As much as I would love to talk more and more about it, I think I will leave a few pictures here instead. 

Enjoy this little video too!