In the 12th -14th century in the area of the old Bulgarian capital Tarnovo many monasteries were built, which established themselves as leading spiritual and cultural centres within the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. Among them was St. St. Peter and Paul Monastery, located very close to the present-day town of Lyaskovets in Veliko Tarnovo region. Standing on the high and inaccessible rocks of the Arbanassi plateau, nowadays the holy monastery is visited by tens of thousands of believers and tourists from all over the world.
From afar, the silhouette of the monastery is reminiscent of a medieval castle. According to legend, the lands around the monastery were owned by the brothers Peter and Assen. When they announced the uprising for the liberation of Bulgaria from Byzantine rule in 1185, they made a vow - in case the uprising was successful, they would build a monastery on this holy place. And they kept their promise!
During the dark years of Ottoman rule, the holy monastery was repeatedly burned and demolished, but then was revived like a phoenix from the ashes.
Learn more about the history of this emblematic sacred place in Bulgaria in the publication “No sword or bondage, nor fire or earthquake shall touch me” from Radio Bulgaria’s Best collection.
Compiled by Veneta Nikolova
English version Rositsa Petkova
The old central part of Bansko is full of history. In recent decades, the beautiful mountain town has become a popular resort and festival center. It keeps the memory of the Bulgarian National Revival, the development of Bulgarian education,..
On Spasovden ( Ascension ) the village of Bov awaits for guests from ne ar and far! For the picturesque and ancient mountain village of Bov, perched above the Iskar Gorge, today's feast - Ascension Day, also popular in Bulgaria as..
This year marks the 160 th anniversary of the birth of one of the most famous donors and benefactors of the city of Plovdiv - industrialist Dimitar Petrov Kudoglu. Born in 1862 in the region of Xanthi in northeastern Greece, he inherited the..
+359 2 9336 661