Cave Churches in Ivanovo

The caves, located in northern Bulgaria along the banks of the Rusenskiy Lom River, have been inhabited by monks since the 13th century. Choosing caves of natural origin suitable for life, the brothers also independently knocked out cells, chapels, churches and other rooms of the monastery in the rocks. With hard work, more than 40 churches and over 300 residential cells were built.

All the caves were assembled into one complex in honor of St. Michael the Archangel. Monk Joachim, who was later elected patriarch, became the head of the cave monastery. At that time, these places became the center of the spiritual culture of the Bulgarian Kingdom. Thanks to Joakim's active work, the cave churches in Ivanovo enjoyed the patronage of the authorities, who donated significant funds here.

Thanks to generous donations, the monastery had the opportunity to hire good craftsmen to paint the walls and use high-quality materials. With the advent of the Turkish government, the cave complex continued to exist for some time, but gradually became empty and by the 17th century it became uninhabited and abandoned. To this day, several churches have been preserved, decorated with unique frescoes, some of them are open to the public, others require restaurant work or are not safe to visit.

Attractions

The cave churches in Ivanovo are decorated with many frescoes. The frescoes of the 13th and 14th centuries have the greatest cultural significance. From the moment of discovery to the present day, the images have not been restored, however, they have retained the brightness of the colors. This resistance is explained by the composition of the candles that were used here, during the burning process they covered the frescoes with a kind of protective coating. Gorenje The unique painting conveys scenes of biblical life, the most prominent of which are "The Washing of the Feet", "Peter's Abdication", "Judas' Kiss". The frescoes also depicted the donors and patrons of the monastery, its abbot and the brethren.

Currently available for visiting are:

• The main church is the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos
• Chapel of the Lord Dol
• The Hidden Church
• The church was founded by Tsar Ivan Alexander
• The Inner Church

It is here that the wall paintings have been preserved at their best. You can reach these art monuments by climbing the steps carved into the rocks. The entire complex is located at an altitude of more than 30 meters.

The Rusenskii Lom Nature Park is currently operating around the cave church in Ivanovo. In addition to the church, it is worth paying attention to the bird park. There are only five places in Bulgaria where birds nest, and this is one of them. The park has beautiful nature, combining the beauty of rocks and canyons and a fast-flowing river. And the church itself is included in the UNESCO Cultural Heritage List.