Troyan Monastery

It is the third most important and largest monastery in Bulgaria, and the spiritual center of the regions north of the Balkan Mountains. It replaced, to some extent, the religious centers of Arbanasi and Veliko Tarnovo—which are not far away—and rose in prominence after these centers declined in the 16th century, with the shift of Christian life from cities to towns and villages. The monastery is part of a network of religious institutions that were established during the Ottoman occupation, as part of a spiritual revival influenced by the developing monastic center on Mount Athos.

In the 16th century, a monk from Mount Athos arrived in the area of the village of Troyan with a holy icon of Mary with three hands. He intended to bring it to Romania, but when he tried to continue on his way, his horse refused to go. He took this as a sign that the icon wanted to remain with a holy man he knew nearby. Because of this, a chapel—and later a monastery—were built around the miracle-working icon. If you doubt the truth of the story, you can see the icon with your own eyes in the monastery.

The main development and construction of the monastery in its current form took place in the 19th century, with the beginning of the Bulgarian National Revival. The main church was built in 1835, and to decorate it, painters were invited from across Bulgaria. The artist who took on the project of painting the frescoes inside and outside the church was Zahari Zograph from the Samokov School of Painting, who was also involved in painting the frescoes at the Rila Monastery. In Troyan, his work reached its peak. He expressed Christian moral and didactic themes in paintings such as Judgment Day and the Wheel of Life. He also painted heroes of the nation and Bulgarian history—and even painted himself on one of the windows. Artistically, he blended Western realistic styles with traditional Orthodox models.

During the struggle for the liberation of Bulgaria, the monastery became part of the underground network working to expel the Ottomans. The national leader Vasil Levski found refuge and support here. The Troyan Monastery is located near one of the most important mountain passes in the Balkans—the Troyan Pass—about half an hour’s drive from the Dryanovo Monastery, which lies at the foot of another major pass.