Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Ivanovo, Ruse Province, Bulgaria |
| Criteria | Cultural: (ii), (iii) |
| Reference | 45 |
| Inscription | 1979 (3rd Session) |
| Area | 171.9 ha (0.664 sq mi) |
| Coordinates | 43°43′N 25°58′E / 43.717°N 25.967°E |
  Location of Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo in Bulgaria | |
The Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo (
medieval frescoes. The churches are inside Rusenski Lom Nature Park
.
History
The caves in the region had been inhabited by monks from the 1220s, when it was founded by the future
Patriarch of Bulgaria Joachim I
, to the 17th century, where they hewed cells, churches and chapels out of solid rock. At the peak of the monastery complex, the number of churches was about 40, while the other premises were around 300, most of which are not preserved today.
Tarnovo and nearest big medieval town Cherven, with which the monastery complex had strong ties in the 13th and 14th century. It was a centre of hesychasm in the Bulgarian lands in the 14th century and continued to exist in the early centuries of the Ottoman
rule of Bulgaria, but gradually decayed.
The Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo were included in the
World Heritage List
in 1979.
Preserved heritage
The monastery complex owes much of its fame to 13th- and 14th-century frescoes, preserved in five of the churches, which are thought of as wonderful examples of Bulgarian mediaeval art. The rock premises used by the monks include the St
Palaeologan
art.
Many century-old inscriptions have also been preserved in the monastical premises, including the famous indented inscription of the monk Ivo Gramatik from 1308–1309.
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14th century mural portrait of Tsar Ivan Alexander from the Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo
Burials
See also
- Aladzha Monastery
- Albotin Monastery
- Cave monastery
- Monolithic church
References
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rock-hewn churches of Ivanovo.
- Rock-Hewn Churches of Ivanovo at whc.unesco.org
- Velmans, Tania. Les Fresques d'Ivanovo et la peinture byzantine à la fin du Moyen Âge. - Journal des savants. 1965, N°1. pp. 358-412
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1 with Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and Ukraine | ||
