Your starting point is at the monastery's entrance. What is the
first year that you see?
If it's 1879 go to N 43° 05.765 E 025° 39.843
If it's 1750 go to N 43° 04.887 E 025° 38.759
More information about St. Virgin Mary monastery (In
English): The St. Virgin Mary convent can be found at the very
beginning of the Arbanasi village, which in turn is situated 5 km
away from Veliko Turnovo on the road to Gorna Oryahovitsa. It is
one of the cloisters scattered around the former capital of
Bulgaria, which hold painful memories of the Turks’ invasion
in Bulgaria. A visit of this monastery can be a part of a nice day
off or a weekend in the ancient village of Arbanasi. Another
monastery, St Nikola lies at the other end of the village and can
complement a visit in the neighbourhood.
The St Virgin Mary cloister was established at the time of the
second Bulgarian state, which ended with the fall under Ottoman
rule in the end of the 14th century. As soon as the Tsarevets
fortress of the Bulgarian king (in the nearby Veliko Turnovo) is
conquered by the Ottoman troops, only a few houses of Arbanasi,
including this monastery, survived the invasion. During the first
years of Ottoman domination, the monastery remains a wealthy
convent, but was later abandoned following a series of raids by
groups of the so-called Kurdzhalii. Yet in 1680, local people raise
money and erect the monastery’s church, which has survived to
date. It is an interesting building for its being quite different
from the gorgeous churches of other cloisters – it represents
a low and longish building (18 meters long, 6 meters wide) with two
entrance halls and a spacious chapel, without external brilliance
or bell-tower. Its walls were painted by the Krastyo, Tsonyo and
Georgi masters in 1704. Soon afterwards (in 1716), the Troyan monk
Danail initiates the construction of monks’ dwellings and
brings the monastery back to life. In 1762, the church and the
chapel were additionally decorated with frescoes. Besides the wall
paintings, a few icons, painted by the Tyavna master Zahari
Stefanov and his son, Tsonyo, have been also preserved to present
days. The bell-tower is brand new and stands out just above the
main entrance of the monastery.
Visitors are also taken by the icon of St Virgin Mary with a
silver repousse cover – a part of the silver cover being
added at a later stage with the funds of a local trader whose child
was cured following a pray to the icon. The icon is believed to be
miraculous by both the nuns and the local people who come to the
monastery to address their prayers to her. It dates back before
Bulgaria fell under Ottoman rule. According to the legend, at the
time the nuns abandoned the monastery shortly after the fall of the
state, they covered the icon with cloths and hid it in the ground.
Many years later, a shepherd boy heard a mournful voice coming from
the ground at the same place while walking his herd, and found the
icon with the help of his father.
http://bulgarianmonastery.com/arbanasi_monastery.html
More information about St. Virgin Mary monastery (In
Bulgarian): Devicheskiyat manastir “Sveta
Bogoroditsa” se namira v nachaloto na s. Arbanasi, na 5 km.
ot gr. Veliko Tarnovo v posoka Gorna Oryahovitsa. Toy e edin ot
nyakolkoto duhovni obiteli okolo starata stolitsa na Bulgaria,
koito pazyat v sebe si tezhki spomeni ot osmanskoto nashestvie.
Poseshtenieto na tozi manastir mozhe bade chast ot priyaten den ili
uikend v starinnoto Arbanasi. V drugia kray na seloto ima oshte
edin manastir – “Sv. Nikola”.
“Sveta Bogoroditsa” e sazdaden oshte po vremeto na
Vtorata balgarska darzhava. Kogato prez 1393 g. krepostta Tsarevets
pada, v Arbanasi otselyavat samo nyakolko kashti, sred koito i tozi
manastir. Prez parvite vekove na osmanskoto vladichestvo toy se
zapazva kato zamozhen manastir, no po-kasno zapustyava sled
postoyannite nabezi na kardzhaliite. Vse pak prez 1680 g. mestnoto
naselenie izgrazhda zapazenata i do dnes nova manastirska tsarkva.
Tya predstavlyava interesna postroyka, razlichavashta se ot
pishtnite hramove na drugi manastiri - niska i prodalgovata sgrada
(18 x 6 m.), s dve predveria i obshiren paraklis, bez vanshen
blyasak i kambanaria. Izografisana e prez 1704 g. ot uchitelite
Krastyo, Tsonyo i Georgi. Skoro sled tova (1716 g.), troyanskiyat
monah Danail postroyava zhilishtnite sgradi i vazobnovyava
deynostta na manastira. Prez 1762 g. tsarkvata i paraklisa sa
dopalnitelno ukraseni sas stenopisi. Osven stennite risunki sa
zapazeni i nyakolko ikoni, delo na trevnenskia maystor Zahariy
Stefanov i sina mu Tsonyu. Kambanariyata e nova i e postroena nad
samia vhod za manastira.
Interes budi razpolozhenata v ednoto predverie relefna i
obkovana v srebro ikona na Bogoroditsa – chast ot obkova e
dobaven na po-kasen etap s pari na mesten targovets, chieto dete
spored predanieto e bilo iztseleno sled molitva pred ikonata. Tya
datira oshte ot predi osmanskoto igo i se smyata za chudotvorna
kakto ot monahinite, taka i ot mestnite hora, koito idvat v
manastira za da otnesat molitvite si kam Sv. Bogoroditsa. Spored
predanieto, skoro sled prevzemaneto na Tsarevets monahinite
izostavyat svetata obitel i zakopavat ikonata. Mnogo godini
po-kasno mestno ovcharche chuva plach, idvasht izpod zemyata i ya
namira s pomoshtta na bashta si.
http://bulgarianmonastery.com/bg/arbanasi_monastery.html
More information about St. Nikolai Chudotvorec monastery: (in
Bulgarian) Manastirat „Sv. Nikolay” Chudotvorets "
e razpolozhen v malka dolina v yugozapadnia kray na Arbanasi.
Osnovavaneto mu e svarzano sas stroitelstvoto po vreme na
tsaruvaneto na Asenovtsi, prez HIIIv. Spored ostanalite
istoricheski svedenia manastira e ograbvan i opozharyavan
mnogokratno sled padaneto na V. Tarnovo pod tursko robstvo 1393
godina i posledvalite mnogo poredni nabezi pochti vsichki monasi sa
izbiti.
Parvoto mu vazstanovyavane stava v 1680g. Tsarkvata i nyakoi
zhilishtni sgradi bili izgradeni na novo sas sredstvata na ktitora
bolyar Atanasiy, bogat arbanashki targovets, uchastval v zagovor za
svalyane na sultana i ubit v srazhenie kray Sushitsa /dn. Karlovo/.
Prez 1717, 1729g. i 1744g manastira zapustyal sled chumna epidemia.
Manastirat otnovo biva opozharen prez 1798g., a sled dve godini
vazstanoven ot mestnoto naselenie. Tsarkvata se izpolzvala kato
enoriyski hram. V 1833 g. po initsiativa na energichnia otets Zotik
Preobrazhenski, sas sredstva sabrani ot naselenieto na V. Tarnovo,
G. Oryahovitsa, Lyaskovets, Arbanasi i okolnite selishta, se
izvarshva novo obnovlenie. Dyado Zotik e vazobnovitel na
Preobrazhenskia manastir kakto i na manastira„Sv. Nikolay
Chudotvorets” .Toy e bil duhoven nastavnik na sestrinstvoto v
manastira i umira po vreme na chumna epidemia. Monasite go
prenasyat v Preobrazhenskia manastir i tam go pogrebvat. Shimonah
Zotik e edin ot malkoto monasi, koito se osmelyavat da izvarshvat
bogoslozhenie na tsarkovno slavyanski ezik, koyto ne se polzval v
pravoslavnite balgarski tsarkvi i manastiri sled porobvaneto na
Bulgaria . Kakto se znae po vreme na osmanskoto robstvo propovedite
v pravoslavnite tsarkvi se izvarshvali na gratski ezik , neponyaten
za po- golyamata chast ot balgarskoto naselenie. Za Shimonah Zotik
, bashtata na P.R. Slaveykov e kazal „ pochitaha go kato
svetets i kato takav po zhivot beshe”.
Prez 60 –te godini na HIH v. V manastira zhiveyat okolo 40
monahini, koito se zanimavat s takane na shayatsi i chergi , s
pletene na chorapi i dr. Po vreme na Aprilskoto vastanie
popreporaka na Matey Preobrazhenski i yeromonah Hariton monahinite
takat shayak i izrabotvat drehi za vastanitsite ot Parvi
revolyutsionen okrag. Po vreme na Rusko Turskata voyna , ruskite
voenni chasti sa bili razkvartiruvani v selo Arbanasi a monahinite
ot manastira „Sv. Nikolay Chudotvorets “ sa pomagali i
v znak na blagodarnost poluchavat darenie ot Rusia ikonostas , za
manastirskia hram. Manastirat e razshiren a tsarkvata mu stava
parvata s kupol v Arbanasi. Po tova vreme igumenia Zinovia
Lambrinova e posetila, Rusia i spomaga za sazdavaneto na manastira
kato devicheska obitel, treti po roda si po vreme na
vazrazhdaneto.
Tsarkvata „ Sv. Nikola „e ednokorabna, ednoapsidna,
zasvodena s visok kupol, s paraklis "Sv. Ilia" ot sever, koyto e
izdignat i osveten na 15 April 1716g. Pri remont, neposredstveno
sled Osvobozhdenieto stenopisite v mazhkoto i zhenskoto otdelenie
na hrama bili zalicheni i po stenite sa izpisani novi. Mnogo ot
ikonite sa podareni ot ruski voini. Malko ot hudozhestvenite
tsennosti na manastira sa dostignali do nas. Dva golemi bronzovi
polileya ot manastirskata tsarkva , ediniyat s dvuglav orel i
nadpis , vazhvalyavasht darenieto i saobshtavasht myastoto na
izrabotkata si – Nyurnberg -1746g., 8 yuni , razkrivat
vrazkite na mestnite targovtsi – vlasi , albantsi ili gartsi,
a mozhe bi garcheeshti se balgari, sas Zapadna Evropa. Gratsko
evangilie , pechatano vav Venetsia prez 1760g. Selishteto ,
ograbvano na nyakolko pati i opustosheno ot kardzhaliite, ima
dokumentalen opis na razsipvaneto si : „ I nashia dom vse
razgrabisha – pishe Sofronii Vrachanski – i ne ostana
ni lazhitsa, ni panitsa, i moi drehi i knizha , shto imah, vse
uzesha i vseki dom raskopasha..... Vapreki prevratnostite na
vremeto porodeni ot istoricheski i svetski prichini vratite na
„Sv. Nikolay „Chudotvorets sa otvoreni za tezi koito se
nuzhdayat ot pomosht i zakrila i idvat s blagodarnost za chudesata
ot GOSPOD IISUS HRISTOS,„SV. NIKOLAY ChUDOTVORETs”,
„SV.BOGORODITsA” ZAKRILNITsA, „SV. PROROK
ILIA”, za koyto pishe v ZhITIA NA SVETIITE ,che e vdignat
zhiv s ognena kolesnitsa v nebesnoto tsarstvo.