Bulgarian Medieval Monastery

The early Christian monastery complex in the "Karaach Teke" area near Varna is one of the largest monastery complexes in the Balkans. It was discovered during archaeological excavations in 1921. by the founder of Bulgarian archeology Karel Shkorpil. The complex is unique in terms of its layout and dimensions. Until now, there is no analogue found in either the Bulgarian or the Byzantine construction tradition.

There are hypotheses that it was built at the end of the 9th and the beginning of the 10th century by Prince Boris I - Michael the Baptist and was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Research shows that it was active until the 18th century. In the monastery complex, archaeologists discovered a large monastery church and a huge tower with a chapel, a significant scriptorium with an area of 400 square meters, a library, a school, monastic dormitories, as well as an altar table, a forge workshop, Bulgarian, Serbian, Byzantine, Turkish and Venetian coins.

The cathedral church is located in the center of a large courtyard and is of the so-called Atonian type. The temple has voluminous semicircular niches to the north and south, where the entire monastic brotherhood used to gather for prayer. The building is decorated with frescoes and monumental stone sculptures. Next to it, chained premises are being developed, built with the soft and workable limestone stone - bigor. In front of the buildings there are porticoes in two rows, open to a spacious courtyard.

Excavations continue to this day, and the discovered movable cultural values are located in the Regional History Museum - Varna.

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