detail from one of the exterior paintings at Rila Monastery

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Monastery of Saint Ivan of Rila or Rila Monastery is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria regarded as one of Bulgaria's most important cultural, historical and architectural monuments. The iconic frescoes, finished in 1846, are the work of many masters including Bansko, Samokov and Razlog and are exceptionally rich ornamentation. The frescoes convey Christian teachings to people who could neither read nor write. Rila Monastery was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in is a detail from one of the exterior paintings.

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Size: 5226px × 3484px
Location: Rila Monastery, Bulgaria
Photo credit: © HAWKEYE / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

Keywords: architecture, art, artists, christian, christianity, church, culture, decorative, history, holy, images, mary, medieval, orthodox, painting, religion, secular, spiritual, symbol, virgin