618 SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp636–8 and pp639–41
At the foot of Rhodope Mountains lies Bachkovo
Monastery (Bachkovski manastir), the second largest
monastery in Bulgaria after Rila Monastery (see
pp612–15). It was found ed in 1083 by Grigori and
Abbasi Bakouriani, Georgian brothers who were
comman ders in the Byzantine Army. In the 13th
century, the monastery was spon sored by Tsar
Ivan Asen II and his suc cessor Ivan Aleksandûr.
Destroyed by the Ottomans in the 16th century, it
was restored by the 17th cen tury. Today, its serene
courtyards are filled with trees and drinking foun-
tains, and, thanks to its archi tecture and frescoes, it
has been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
. Last Judgment
In the porch of the Church of
Sveti Nikola is a fresco of the
Last Judgment by Zahari
Zograf, with sinners
falling into the
fires of Hell.
STAR SIGHTS. Last Judgment
. Iconostasis
. Refectory
Fresco in the Dome
The dome of the Church
of Sveti Nikola is
decorated with a fresco of
Christ Pantocrator,
encircled by exquisitely
painted portraits of saints.Church of Sveti Nikola
A door to the left of the main
courtyard leads to the Church of
Sveti Nikola, which was built
in 1834. It contains frescoes
by Zahari Zograf and
other renowned painters.The Ossuary
Located away from the main
monastery complex, the ossuary
is the only surviving part of the
11th-century monastery.Bachkovo Monastery 7
Бачковски манастир