Bachkovo Monastery and Rhodopi Mountain, Bulgaria, Sept 2006
30km south of Plovdiv the Bachkovo Monastery was founded in 1083 by two aristocrats the Georgian brothers Gregory and Abasius Bakuriani who were military officers for the Byzantine rulers. The second largest Bulgarian monastery, the Bachkovo cloister, lies in the valley of the Chepelare river (also known by the locals as Chaya), about 10km to the south of the town of Assenovgrad. On all sides, the monastery is surrounded by the hills of the Rhodopi mountain, which together with its size and ancient spirit make is one of the most visited monasteries in Bulgaria. The complex and its neighbourhood have grown into a developed tourist sight where dozens of small shops, stalls, and restaurants stand on both sides of the walkway to the gates and appeal with their variety to visitors. One can find here everything that grows or is being manufactured in the Rhodopi mountain – rare herbs, home-made jams of wild fruit, yogurt and white cheese made of sheep or buffalo’s milk, woolen carpets, etc.
Size: 5050px × 3381px
Location: Bachkovo Monastery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Eastern Europe
Photo credit: © Catarina Leal / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: architecture, attraction, bachkovo, bulgaria, christianity, church, eastern, europe, heritage, monastery, mountains, orthodox, religion, religious, rhodopi, southern, temple, tourism, tourist
