Saint Georgi Monastery

About

Founded in the 7th century, Saint George Monastery was likely built on top of a Thracian sanctuary as an ancient marble bas-relief of a Thracian rider. While Bulgaria was under Ottoman rule, the monastery was destroyed, with only a 17th century icon of St. George surviving. Like most of the old Bulgarian monasteries this was destroyed and burnt during the Ottoman rule. Since those days remained only a charred icon of St. George dating back to 1607. After the Ottomans were expelled in the 19th century, the monastery was rebuilt, and filled with icons from the 17th through 19th centuries.