Medieval monastery of St. John Prodrom

Overview

Medieval monastery of St. John Prodrom
There are few cities in Bulgaria that have a restored monastery complex. The medieval monastery complex "St. John Prodrom" was founded in the 6th - 8th century. At the beginning of the 9th century a fortified monastery was built on the site of a small church that received the relics of a church figure. It was the center of one of the great medieval dioceses - Ahridos and has a typical Athos style. In 1998 a unique tomb was discovered in it, preserving the relics of a high-ranking bishop and parts of the gold-embroidered textile of episcopal robes from the 13th - 14th centuries. This makes it a global value. Remarkable in this complex are the three temples and the two tombs. At the beginning of the 11th century a complete reconstruction of the monastery was carried out, it had a unique structure. A new fortress wall was built, with square towers at the four ends and the middle of the walls. To the east of the large triabsid concha church was the palace of the abbot - bishop of the diocese of Ahridos. The names of three bishops, Thomas, Constantine and Eustaticus, are known from the lead seals found in the Perperikon administrative center. At the beginning of the 13th century the narthex from the west was turned into a crypt. The monastery is experiencing moments of rise and attack. Life in it subsided at the end of the 14th century, but the memory of it is preserved until the beginning of the new century. Quadrangular fortress wall with five towers, triapsid, three-nave cross-domed church / 10-14 century / with partially preserved frescoes. The symbol of Christianity - the cross - is built into its very plan. The church "St. John Prodrom" as architecture has directly followed the Catholicon "St. Athanasius. ”In 2000, the restored church, after 600 years of silence, again rang the bell of Kardzhali. It is included in the 100 national tourist sites of the Republic of Bulgaria.