Arbanassi's Cloisters Multi-cache

The cache is part of the Veliko Tarnovo monasteries cache hunt
series. You'll visit two monasteries in Arbanassi - Virgin Mary and St. Nikolai Chudotvorets.

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.