monastery
Bachkovo Monastery
The monastery was founded by the Byzantine commander Gregory Pakourianos, also rendered Grigorii Bakuriani, during the reign of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos.
About this place
The monastery was founded by the Byzantine commander Gregory Pakourianos, also rendered Grigorii Bakuriani, during the reign of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. Its medieval two-storey ossuary preserves murals and founder portraits; UNESCO describes the 11th- to 12th-century structure as exceptional in the Eastern Orthodox world. The Church of St Nicholas was built in 1836 and decorated by the prominent Bulgarian National Revival painter Zahari Zograf. The monastery is an active Orthodox religious complex with two courtyards and four churches, near Bachkovo village in the Rhodope Mountains. This is a functioning monastery with regular worship; behave respectfully, keep noise low and follow posted rules for clothing and photography. Recheck the linked official sources shortly before visiting because access, schedules, tours and road conditions can change.
Access information
- This is a functioning monastery with regular worship; behave respectfully, keep noise low and follow posted rules for clothing and photography.
- Weekends, major Orthodox feast days and pilgrimage occasions can be busy; confirm current visitor arrangements with the monastery.
- The complex sits in mountainous terrain beside the Chepelarska River valley; surfaces and access to individual historic buildings may not be step-free.
Location
41.94189, 24.84949. Coordinates are for orientation, not parking or turn-by-turn navigation.
Sources and freshness
Editorial research by Bulgaria Unfolded. Last checked . Reconfirm changing access details before departure.