Two years ago my family and I visited the Rila Monastery and we were fascinated. We have heard a lot about this landmark before, so we decided to see it with our eyes.The travel seemed endless because of our overwhelming desire to arrive faster. It was February and everything was covered in snow, which added even more charm to it. We parked the car nearby and went to the monastery .The sneaking sunbeams illuminated the domes of the church, located in the center of the monastery complex. While entering we felt the spirit of the past, of our predecessors. We were captivated by the beautiful arches and carved verandas. Every piece is uniquely decorated and impressive. We threw some coins for health and luck in one of the fountains (as it is customary). Looking around we noticed a number of premises, decorated with carved wood and colorful ornaments. Of course we visited the church “Virgin Birth” and we lit candles for us and our close ones. We enjoyed the iconostasis of “St. Nicholas” and “St. Ivan Rilski”, and a number of other icons. We also checked out the latest “Kyustendil room” created mainly with donations from people like Violeta and Zlatka Georgieva. We were told also about other donators such as Svetoslav Kantardzhiev who donated to the cave where Ivan Rilski spent seven years. We decided to make a donation too -modest, but from the heart.
We visited also the monastery kitchen.Its uniqueness is due to the fact that the chimney is high about 22 meters in the form of a pyramid. We could not help but taste the amazing bread and the traditional mekitzas (batter fried in deep oil). Unfortunately we couldn.t visit the museum, but we intend to come to the monastery again. Before we left, we had a very delicious dinner at a cozy restaurant with a wonderful fireplace. I bought a very nice souvenir and every time I see it, it reminds me of the impressive Rila Monastery. If you come in Bulgaria someday, do not miss that place!
