Bulgaria - Eastern Europe - page 89

Bulgarian psyche, building a four-floor residential building within fortresslike stone
walls to house 300 monks, and guest rooms for its many donors. In fact most of what
you see today was built between 1834 and 1837 (predated only by the 14th-c. brick
tower that rises in the middle of the inner courtyard, and the small 14th-c. church
[1343] that stands next to the tower; this had a belfry added in 1844).
Despite the impressive surroundings, it is the church they call “the Nativity of the
Virgin” that draws the visitor's eye, with its porch entirely covered in rich
decorative frescoes; step inside and the interiors are equally beautiful, with an intri-
cately carved and glittering gilt iconostasis beckoning devotees closer—this is one of
the finest examples of the art of the Samokov woodcarvers (a town nearby, like
Tryavna famous for producing Bulgaria's finest artists), as are the icons. Here you'll
find the silver box with the hand of St. John of Rila (see “Kissing the Bones of a Well-
Traveled Saint,” below); farther to the left, kept in a drawer, is a 12th-century icon of
the Virgin. In a chapel opposite, underneath a simple wooden cross, lies the heart of
czar Boris III. The king, who had refused to hand over his Jewish subjects, died on his
way back from a trip to Berlin in 1944, prompting speculation that he had been poi-
soned by the Nazis. The murals were painted by many artists, including Dimitar and
Zahari Zograf, the Samakov brothers who were to become the most famous icon
painters of the 19th-century National Revival. Zahari is in fact the better known, per-
haps because he was arrogant (or sensible) enough to sign his work, and eventually
courting enormous controversy by painting himself into some of his murals. The
exterior murals are particularly absorbing, with the most awful damnations heaped
upon sinners—apocalyptic images that look inspired by the diabolical imagination of
Hieronymus Bosch, and must have done plenty to herd the illiterate into the Ortho-
dox fold.
After viewing the church, move on to the monastery museum (daily 8am-5pm;
5lev/$3.50/£1.75), which houses a number of interesting artworks and relics, the most
fascinating of which is Raphael's Cross: carved from a single piece of wood, the 81-
centimeter-high cross features no less than 104 religious tableaux with 1,500 tiny fig-
ures—a 12-year labor of love that cost the monk Raphael his eyesight. After this you
can visit one of the monk's cells and the massive cauldrons in the “kitchen”—look up
and you realize you've stepped into what is effectively the world's largest chimney. If
you have a few hours, set off on the 4km (2.5-mile) walk through the forest above the
monastery to Saint John of Rila's original hermitage—a fairly nondescript cave unless
you try to work your way up through the fissure known as “Miracle Hole”—in days
of yore those who could not achieve this relatively simple feat were thought to be
tainted with sin and sent home to atone.
ESSENTIALS: GETTING THERE & GETTING A MEAL
Rila Monastery ( & 07054/2208) , about 90 minutes south of Sofia, is an easy day trip
from the capital by car or tour bus, and serviced by numerous tour operators. Zig Zag
( & 02/980 5102; www.zigzagbg.com) offers the best-value day trip (58

€

/$74). The
trip is in a private car with a guide, and a maximum of four others. If you don't want to
share the experience, book with Surprise Tours (see details below), which will take you
to the monastery for 80 ($102). If you're not hassled by traveling in a large impersonal

group book with FairPlay International JSC ( & 02/943 4574; www.fpitravel.com;
25

€

/$32, lunch and guide included). Note that there are no direct public buses from
Sofia; using this may require an overnight stay; none of the accommodations options,

€