Cherepish Monastery

Cherepish Monastery, founded in the 14th century, was frequently burnt, destroyed, and rebuilt throughout the Ottoman Empire. It, like many other monasteries, was used as a hideout by rebels before and during the Russo-Turkish War (1877–78). The museum contains icons on exhibit as well as texts in Bulgarian concerning the monastery and local history. If you wish to remain, there is basic guesthouse accomodation (20 lv per person).

The monastery is around 30 kilometers southeast of Vratsa on the Mezdra–Zverino road. Buses from Sofia to Mezdra, Vratsa, Montana, or Vidin pass the monastery; exit at the Zverino turn-off and walk west 6 kilometers. If you’re coming from Sofia, the most picturesque route is through Novi Iskâr, which takes you through the spectacular Iskâr Gorge.

History

The Cherepish monastery goes back to the Second Bulgarian State. According to a document kept at the Sofia church, historical and archeological museum, it was erected during the reign of Tsar Ivan Shishman (1371-1393). During the Ottoman occupation, the cloister was repeatedly destroyed and set on fire. St Pimen of Sofia rebuilt it around the end of the 16th century. During the Bulgarian Renaissance, the monastery developed into a cultural and educational center. It housed a monastic school and was the site of the writing and rewriting of books, saints’ biographies, and gospels.

Relics from that time period include the Cherepish Gospel, which was bound in gold in 1512 and embellished with biblical themes, as well as the Gospel of Monk Danail and the Book of the Apostles of Jacob. At 1797, St Sofronii of Vratza seeks and finds refuge in the monastery. The monastery is visited by the Vratza revolutionary committee, which is conspiring against the Turks, and the central revolutionary committee between 1872 and 1876. The Rashov Dol location, where Botev’s unit of rebels commanded by Georgi Apostolov fought the final fight against the Turks, is close to the Cherepish monastery. Furthermore, the convent was visited by the famed Bulgarian writer Ivan Vazov in 1889 and 1907, and another notable author, Aleko Konstantinov, stopped by here during his tour of the area in 1897. Following his visit to the monastery, Konstantinov published Bulgarian Switzerland, one of his renowned travel notes.

In the region around the monastery, old Christian churches have been discovered. A substantial portion of the cloister has just been refurbished and restored. For the last year, a monastic school has been operating at the monastery, theological institution, and the Sofia orthodox seminary. The cloister’s various attractive structures, the majority of which were built by Father Yosif about 1836, create a lasting effect on visitors. The St George’s church, which retains its original design and a portion of its frescoes (painted in the 19th century by a priest, Yoanikii) despite repeated reconstructions, stands out among the buildings in the complex, as does the bone-vault, which perches from a steep rock over one of the buildings.

The church is a one-nave structure with a large entrance, an open gallery, and a pointed dome. An iconostasis with beautiful woodcarvings and a portrayal of Christ’s burial, embroidered in 1844, are two of the interior’s most outstanding features. The Cherepish monastery has been designated as a cultural monument of national importance.

Accommodation

The Cherepish monastery now provides meals and lodging after undergoing extensive renovations in the summer of 2006. The monastery’s dining hall, known as the magernitsa, is available to visitors and may seat up to 35 people. It serves traditional monastic meals as well as Bulgarian cuisine. The monastery’s hotel, on the other hand, can accommodate up to 30 guests in rooms for 3, 4, or 6 people, all of which have toilets. The cost of a bed is 10 leva (about 5 euro) per night (as of November 2006). Children under the age of five are accommodated for free, while those between the ages of five and twelve get a 50 percent discount. Tourist groups may directly negotiate pricing with the monastery’s employees.