Bulgarian Monasteries Over the past few years, the Bulgarian monasteries, which are closely related to the historical fate of the Bulgarian state and nation, have witnessed increasing tourist interest. From their very opening, the monasteries have gained great importance as centres of the Bulgarian literature and culture and have preserved the nation's values during hard times. Some of the monasteries, which date back to Byzantine times, have played a key role in keeping up the Bulgarians' spirit and self-consciousness during 5 centuries of Ottoman domination. Others were built in the late 20th century in the place of destroyed cloisters in order to restore past glory and respond to the religious needs of local people. Due to Ottoman invasions or merely to the course of time, only few of the still-functioning monasteries keep their original architecture and interior of the buildings. Nevertheless, the visit of each one of them leaves a lasting memory and deep impression. Some impress the visitor with their unique design, others - with their valuable icons and masterful wall paintings, or - with their location in most beautiful and wild parts of the country.
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