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History

Monasteries | Old Bulgarian Capitals | Museum Towns

Aladja Monastery	Kilifarevo Monastery
Arbanassi Monasteries	Rila Monastery
Bachkovo Monastery	Rozhen Monastery
Cherepish Monastery	Shipka Monastery
Dryanovo Monastery	Troyan Monastery
Kapinovo Monastery	Zemen Monastery

Bulgaria adopted the Christianity in 865. Prince Boris (852-889) who considered monachism useful for purely State interests, built solid mo- nasteries and churches inspiring respect and a sence of security, first in the capital city of Pliska and near it. The second Christian ruler, the youngest son of Boris, Tsar Simeon (893-927), erected the new capital of Preslav, and founded monasteries in remote and quiet places creating conditions for educational and literary work of writers and theologians.The monasteries were to hammer out the foundations of the future culture and spiritual community. Round about 886, Prince Boris I accommodated the disciples of Cyril and Methodius, the creators of the Slavonic-Bulgarian letters, at St. Panteleimon's Monastery built upon his orders near Preslav. One of the disciples of Cyril and Methodius, Naoum, established here the new Old-Bulgarian alphabet - the so called Cyrillic alphabet (the bases of present-day Bulgarian letters).