French: Monastère de Rila
The Rila Monastery is a World Heritage site in Bulgaria defined by the UNESCO in 1983 and definitely a recommended cultural sightseeing location.
It is on position 322 (194, 103) in our monthly survey..

"Rila Monastery was founded in the 10th century by St John of Rila, a hermit canonized by the Orthodox Church. His ascetic dwelling and tomb became a holy site and were transformed into a monastic complex which played an important role in the spiritual and social life of medieval Bulgaria. Destroyed by fire at the beginning of the 19th century, the complex was rebuilt between 1834 and 1862. A characteristic example of the Bulgarian Renaissance (18th–19th centuries), the monument symbolizes the awareness of a Slavic cultural identity following centuries of occupation."
Copyright © 1992 2014 UNESCO/World Heritage Centre. All rights reserved."

Criteria:

(vi)

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