Religious, Spiritual sights in Rila Monastery
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Church of Rozhdestvo Bogorodichno
Within the monastery's walls, four levels of colourful balconies - with monastic cells, storerooms, a refectory and kitchen - surround the large courtyard, where stands the magnificent Church of Rozhdestvo Bogorodichno, Bulgaria's grandest monastery church. Built between 1834 and 1837, the structure is crowned by three great domes.
Its outside walls are covered with frescoes both vivid and harrowing (or humorous, depending on your disposition), depicting hell, where demons with whips, chains and pitchforks torture sinners in various states of woe and undress. The happier paintings, depicting the virtuous accompanied by angels and saints, indicate the moral lesson that ste…
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Rila Monastery
Bulgaria's most famous monastery is set in a towering forested valley. The 300 monk cells span four levels of colourful balconies, overlooking a large misshapen courtyard, while the Nativity Church, built in the 1830s, contains 1200 magnificent murals.
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