Remains of the medieval Church of the Holy Mother of God

Overview

The monastery complex is located at the foot of Mount Ostroma, in the area "Manastirski livadi". Built during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom, it was not damaged during the Ottoman invasion and lasted until the end of the 18th century. It was destroyed during the riots in Kardzhali at the end of the 18th century. So far, only the remains of the church walls and traces of a massive building have been preserved. There are data on the presence of other buildings belonging to the complex, but no traces of them remain.
The church is built of stone blocks of different sizes, it is single-nave, without a narthex. Remains of an iconostasis have not been found. The church was about 10 m long, about 6 m wide, about 4.50 m high, and the walls were 60 to 90 cm thick. Parts of the foundations of another building facing north-south were found near the church's foundations , with dimensions of 8.5 m. 5.5 m, belonging to the Thracian-Roman period. In the areas where the foundations of the church are covered, these foundations have been destroyed in connection with the construction of the church. Outlines of other buildings dating back to the Thracian-Roman period have also been found. The purpose of the older building has not been proven.
The problem is the treasury interventions, from which the floor of the church was completely destroyed. In 1966 the remains of the church were registered as an architectural monument of cultural significance. Among the remains of the church were found tombstone crosses made of travertine, typical of the seventeenth - eighteenth, most likely originating from the neighboring cemetery. Around the church were found a number of pottery dating from the XIX - early XX, mostly water storage vessels.
Today, the ruins of the church continue to be revered as a holy place. Here a fair of the village is held and a sacrifice is distributed.