SW DN-285 The Dragalevtsi Monastery “Virgin Mary of Vitosha”

The Dragalevtsi Monastery, named “Virgin Mary of Vitosha” Драгалевски манастир „Света Богородица Витошка“ is a Bulgarian Orthodox monastery located about 3 km kilometers south of the village of Dragalevtsi (which became formally a quarter of Sofia a few years ago).  The monastery is located in the lower parts of the Vitosha Mountain.

The monastery’s establishment dates back to 1345, the time of the Second Bulgarian State (which ended with the Ottoman invasion of Bulgarian lands at the end of the 14th century).  In contrast to most other Bulgarian monasteries, the Virgin Mary of Vitosha was saved from destruction by the Ottoman conquerors. Nevertheless, a few years later, it was abandoned by its monks. Soon afterwards, in 1476, it was renovated and brought back to life. During this reconstruction, the small church of the monastery was decorated with beautiful frescoes, most of which have been preserved to present days. In 1932, the church was expanded with the attachment of a new building to it.

In addition to its valuable frescoes from three different time periods, the monastery is also famous for hosting a so-called cell school during the Ottoman rule, and producing the Dragalevtsi Testament. Besides being a cultural and educational centre (with its apogee in the 15-16th centuries), the Dragalevtsi monastery took active part in the secret revolutionary activity against the Turks in the mid-19th century.

These days, the monastery is inhabited by nuns.

This postcard came from Irina (8 September 2014) Swap-bot.