Transfiguration Monastery
Starting on the way to the village of Samovodene through the Derventa gorge of the Yantra River, you will find the Transfiguration Monastery – part of Veliko Tarnovo diocese. The monastery is located only 7 km north of Veliko Tarnovo.
Transfiguration Monastery was established during the Second Bulgarian State in the XIII – XIV century. It is the fourth largest monastery in Bulgaria and the largest in Veliko Tarnovo region.
The monastery exists thanks to the donations of Tsar Ivan Shishman and his parents Tsar Ivan Alexander and his wife Sara, who fully bear the costs of repairs and reconstruction of the building and monastery buildings. That is why the monastery is also known as “Sarin” or “Shishmanov” monastery.
Until the end of the 14th century Transfiguration Monastery near Veliko Tarnovo was located elsewhere, but with the Ottoman invasion of Bulgarian lands and more precisely the fall of Veliko Tarnovo under Turkish rule led to several times being damaged and subsequently its complete destruction and burning.
1825 Rila monk Father Zotik, completely restored Transfiguration Monastery to its current location, and also became its abbot. Prominent Bulgarian architects, such as Kolyu Ficheto, Dimitar Sofiyanliyata and Ivan Bernata, also took part in the reconstruction of the churches on the territory of the monastery.
The great Bulgarian artist and painter Zachary Zograf decorated the walls of the temples with picturesque landscapes and magnificent icons in the period from 1849 to 1851.
Some of the most famous emblematic symbols of Transfiguration Monastery near Veliko Tarnovo are: the bell tower with the clock, the Church of the Annunciation, the mural “Wheel of Life” and many others.
The monastery has very rich and interesting history. It was a shelter for numerous Bulgarian revolutionary figures and liberators, such as Philip Totyu, Angel Kanchev, priest Hariton Halachev and many others. The greatest bulgarian hero Deacon Vasil Levski himself has found refuge many times at Transfiguration Monastery in Veliko Tarnovo.
During the Russo-Turkish War of Liberation, the monastery was turned into a hospital, for which Russian soldiers donated bells, chandeliers and liturgical books out of gratitude after the Liberation.
By staying at Chamurkov guest house, you choose a perfect starting point for visiting numerous old monasteries in the Veliko Tarnovo area. Welcome!
