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Orthodox monasteries: Sokolski

 

Sokolski Orthodox Monastery

Out of all the Orthodox monasteries in Bulgaria, Sokolski is not the largest or the best known, however in my opinion it is the most beautiful. The shapes of its dome, the brightly colored paintings on the facade, the courtyard with stone arches, your garden with fountain, etc… make it a magical place, like out of a story, and I recommend that you visit it if your itinerary passes near the Gábrovo region, in the geographic center of the country.

Sokolski Monastery is a monastery of nuns that is still in operation. It is located 12 km. southeast of the city of Gábrovo. It was founded in 1833 when a little wooden church was built, which was shot down a year later. A little later, In the same place, with the means and the help of the peasants of the nearby towns of Etara and Nova Majala, the current church was built, which represents an outstanding monument of Bulgarian Renaissance architecture and which was decorated with wall paintings in 1862 by Pope Pavel Zograf and his son Nikola. Later the Monastery became an educational center where Neofit Bozveli was a teacher, important figure of the Bulgarian Renaissance. Sokolski Monastery played an important role during the national liberation struggles. The national hero Vasil Levski, known as the Apostle of Liberty, stayed there.

During the Russo-Turkish War of Liberation, the Monastery was converted into a military hospital. A small exhibition keeps relics of the liberation struggle. Ancient icons painted by Zajari Zograf, Best Bulgarian Renaissance Iconographer, complete the museum exhibition. Object of special interest is the stone fountain with falcons, made by the teacher Kolio Fícheto. It is said that one who drinks from the fountain will one day return to the area.

 

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