Monastery of St. Athanasius the Great

Overview

The monastery "St. Athanasius" is located on a hill above the village of Zlatna Livada, about 15 km from Chirpan.
It is considered to be the oldest monastery in Europe, as according to historical records St. Athanasius, Archbishop of Alexandria, personally founded the monastery in 344. He visited today's Bulgarian lands in connection with the Ecumenical Council in Serdica in 343-344. According to his life, he stayed near Beroe (today's Stara Zagora) and founded a monastery. The place for the construction of the monastery was not chosen by chance - once near the holy monastery passed the important road Constantinople - Serdica, in addition to the monastery there was an important fortress, the remains of which can be seen to this day. There was also a Thracian nymph nearby - a sanctuary dedicated to the nymphs, which St. Athanasius turned into a Christian water sanctuary. To this day, it is believed that the water in the monastery spring is healing.
In the rocks above the monastery there is a fasting room, in which the saint and his followers remained in days of fasting and solitude. The fast is also available for visitors to the monastery.
During its centuries-long history, St. Athanasius has been built and destroyed several times. In the 80s of the XX century a new large building of the monastery was built. According to the legends, Vasil Levski (1837 - 1873) and other participants in the national liberation movement against the Ottoman rule in the 19th century hid here.
The monastery houses the Egyptian icon of St. Athanasius, which was donated in 2003 during the visit of the Patriarch of Alexandria Petros VII. Another great value is a copy of the Reims Gospel.
The monastery "St. Athanasius" is a functioning nunnery, has three temple holidays - February 18, May 2 and October 14. Accommodation is also available in the Holy Monastery, but upon prior request.