Rock-Hewn Churches of Ivanovo

A complex of churches, chapels and cells was cut into the limestone cliffs of the Rusenski Lom valley from the 1220s, when a monastic community established itself here under royal patronage, and at its peak the complex counted about forty churches and some three hundred other rooms, most of them now lost. The one open to visitors is the Church of the Holy Virgin, whose wall paintings of the fourteenth century are the reason for the World Heritage inscription: they are among the best surviving examples of Palaeologan painting in the Balkans, with a naturalism, movement and modelling of figures that mark a break from earlier convention, and they include a portrait of the tsar Ivan Alexander who funded the work. The chapel is reached by a stair up the cliff from the valley road.

History

Monks lived in the caves here from the 1220s, when the community was founded by the future Patriarch of Bulgaria Joachim I, until the 17th century, cutting cells, churches and chapels out of the rock; at its height the complex had about 40 churches and some 300 other rooms, most of which have not survived. Rulers of the Second Bulgarian Empire such as Ivan Asen II and Ivan Alexander made frequent donations, as their portraits in some of the churches show, along with nobles from Tarnovo and the nearby town of Cherven; in the 14th century it was a centre of hesychasm, and it carried on into the early Ottoman period before slowly falling into decay. The churches were added to the World Heritage List in 1979 (Wikipedia, Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo).

What to look for

• Fourteenth-century Palaeologan painting - among the best surviving in the Balkans.
• The portrait of Ivan Alexander - the patron shown in the scheme.
• Chambers cut along the cliff - the surviving churches, chapels and cells at various levels in the valley.
• The stair up the rock - the approach to the painted church.

When to go

April to October; winter opening is limited and the site closes on some days. Two hours including the walk and stair. Photography inside is restricted to protect the paintings.

Good to know

Only one chapel is open; the rest of the complex is closed and seen from the valley. The stair is steep. Photography is restricted or banned inside. Opening days vary and it is worth checking before travelling.

Nearby

Basarbovo monastery is downstream; Cherven fortress lies up the valley.