Aladzha Monastery (Bulgarian: Аладжа манастир) is a medieval

Orthodox Christian Orthodoxy (from Greek: ) is adherence to correct or accepted creeds, especially in religion. Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical councils in Antiquity, but different Churche ...

cave monastery A cave monastery is a monastery built in caves, with possible outside facilities. The 3rd-century monk St. Antony the Great, known as the founder of monasticism, lived in a cave. *Albania ** Qafthanë Cave Church, cave church near Urakë ** S ...

complex in northeastern

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

, 17 km north of central

Varna Varna may refer to: Places Europe *Varna, Bulgaria, a city in Bulgaria **Varna Province **Varna Municipality ** Gulf of Varna **Lake Varna **Varna Necropolis *Vahrn, or Varna, a municipality in Italy *Varniai, a city in Lithuania * Varna (Šaba ...

and 3 km west of

Golden Sands Golden Sands ( Bulgarian: Златни пясъци, ''Zlatni pyasatsi'' ) is a major seaside resort town on the northern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, adjacent to a national park of the same name in the municipality of Varna. Located 17 km n ...

beach resort, in a protected forest area adjacent to the

Golden Sands Nature Park Golden Sands Nature Park ( Bulgarian: ''Природен парк "Златни пясъци"'') is a nature park on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast in Varna Province. Geography It covers . The park is long and on the average wide; it was decla ...

. The monastery caves were hewn into a 25-m high vertical karst cliff near the upper edge of the Franga Plateau on several levels. The complex includes two small nearby catacombs. Dedicated to the Holy Trinity, it was an active

hesychast Hesychasm (; Greek: Ησυχασμός) is a contemplative monastic tradition in the Eastern Orthodox Church in which stillness (''hēsychia'') is sought through uninterrupted Jesus prayer. While rooted in early Christian monasticism, it took i ...

monastic community of the

Second Bulgarian Empire The Second Bulgarian Empire (; ) was a medieval Bulgarians, Bulgarian state that existed between 1185 and 1396. A successor to the First Bulgarian Empire, it reached the peak of its power under Tsars Kaloyan of Bulgaria, Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II ...

since the 12th century and perhaps survived until the early 18th century. Nearby, remains of a 5th-century cave monastery have been found.

A cave monastery may have existed not far from the modern monastery Aladzha, near Varna. Its early dating to the fourth century is secured by fragments of glassware, but coins of Justinian indicate that the complex may have still been in use during the 500s.

As late as the early 20th century, the forested hills surrounding the monastery and known as ''Hachuka'' (''Mount of the Cross'') or ''Latin'', were regarded by locals as sacred and inhabited by a mythical chthonic

daemon Daimon or Daemon (Ancient Greek: , "god", "godlike", "power", "fate") originally referred to a lesser deity or guiding spirit such as the daimons of ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology and of later Hellenistic religion and Hell ...

treasure keeper, ''Imri Pop'' or ''Rim-Papa''. Today, the grotto is a popular tourist destination. Its present name appeared in the late Ottoman period; ' ( Turkish for ''motley'') referred to its colourful

mural A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' is a Spani ...

s, now almost destroyed. Thematic light shows are being staged in the summer.

Gallery

File:MozaiculdelaAladza06.jpg, Mosaic in Aladazha Monastery File:MozaiculdelaAladza03.jpg, Detail from a mosaic in Aladazha Monastery File:AladzaCatacombs Tombs.JPG, Stone tombs in Aladzha Monastery's catacombs File:Engel aus Kloster Aladscha.jpg, Medieval fresco in the monastery

References

Sources

* {{Christian-monastery-stub Christian monasteries established in the 12th century Buildings and structures in Varna Province Tourist attractions in Varna, Bulgaria Lower Danube Cave Churches Complex Christian monasteries in Bulgaria Places associated with hesychasm Bulgarian Orthodox monasteries Varna Municipality Cave monasteries