Monastery of Saint Ivan of Rila - Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Monastery of Saint Ivan of Rila - Credit: Wikimedia Commons
The Monastery of Saint John of Rila, also known as Rila Monastery "Sveti Ivan Rilski" (), is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. It is situated in the southwestern Rila Mountains, south of the capital Sofia in the deep valley of the Rilska River ("Rila River") at an elevation of above sea level, inside of Rila Monastery Nature Park. The monastery is named after its founder, the hermit Ivan of Rila (876 – 946 AD), and houses around 60 monks. The Rila Monastery is a popular pilgrimage site for many Orthodox Christians. Read more on Wikipedia
Source: en.wikipedia.org