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Apocalypse Wow! Judgement day frescoes at the Rila Monastery – Bulgaria

July 10, 2010 By James Clark 10 Comments

The Rila Monastery in Bulgaria is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and perhaps the most well known structure in the country. When you enter the monastery it just looks like an old fort and it doesn’t prepare you for the view that is inside.

Rila Monastery - Bulgaria

The monastery is famous for its frescoes by Bulgarian artist Zahari Zograf. The external porch walls of the main church is covered in colourful religious imagery.

Much of the subject matter is of apocalyptic last judgement images. Bat-winged demons and gruesome death scenes are prominent. There are so many little details, so spending some time looking over every detail of each panel reveals some pretty bizarre interpretations of what the apocalypse would look like.

Rila Monastery frescoes

Rila Monastery frescoes

Rila Monastery frescoes

Rila Monastery frescoes

Rila Monastery frescoes

Rila Monastery frescoes

Rila Monastery frescoes

The Rila Monastery is an easy day trip from Sofia. There are tours that go there but the cheapest way is to get a local bus which will take you straight there in 2 and a half hours.

Filed Under: Travel Blog Tagged With: bulgaria, church, frescoes, rila monastery, unesco

About James Clark

James Clark is the founder of Nomadic Notes. He has been a digital nomad since 2003, and Nomadic Notes features trip reports, train travel articles, and where to stay guides. He writes about transport and urban development at Future Southeast Asia. Subscribe to the weekly travel newsletter.

Comments

  1. Corinne says

    July 11, 2010 at 2:44 pm

    The entire Rila Monastery was a surprise. The museum was small, but excellent. The people were friendly, and the fry bread behind the monastery was a hoot. I hope you are having an great time.

    Reply
  2. Glenn says

    July 11, 2010 at 11:23 am

    Nice, looks like a great trip.

    Reply
  3. eddy says

    July 12, 2010 at 7:30 pm

    my god FANTASTIC, love those black and white striped arches
    and well.. the sawed off bits… pretty great !!
    I guess the monks who lived there had a lot to contemplate.

    Reply
  4. katya says

    July 20, 2010 at 10:10 pm

    Beautiful photographs!
    I never thought that Zograf was so interested in the Judgment Day Subject. It turns out most of those sweet faces are actually in great trouble.

    Reply
  5. katya says

    July 20, 2010 at 10:10 pm

    Beautiful photographs!
    I never thought that Zograf was so interested in the Judgment Day Subject. It turns out most of those sweet faces are actually in great trouble.

    Reply
  6. Sherrie says

    July 23, 2010 at 6:09 pm

    I loved the Rila monastery and what it even better for me was the complete surprise of it. We went through Bulgaria on the way to Turkey on our motorcycles and we ended up going south because of the rain. We decided to check out the monastery out of interest and fell in love. The entire south of Bulgaria was amazing, and we ended up staying a week instead of just passing through.

    Reply
  7. Sherrie says

    July 23, 2010 at 6:09 pm

    I loved the Rila monastery and what it even better for me was the complete surprise of it. We went through Bulgaria on the way to Turkey on our motorcycles and we ended up going south because of the rain. We decided to check out the monastery out of interest and fell in love. The entire south of Bulgaria was amazing, and we ended up staying a week instead of just passing through.

    Reply
  8. Bill says

    June 5, 2015 at 2:33 am

    Wow indeed!

    Reply
  9. Sandra says

    February 22, 2017 at 1:59 am

    Wow, I have never heard of this. Europe is filled with so many treasures.

    Reply
  10. Helly Pandya says

    March 22, 2024 at 7:40 pm

    Rila Monastery is a true gem nestled in the heart of Bulgaria’s majestic mountains, its vibrant colors and serene atmosphere offering a glimpse into centuries of rich history and spiritual devotion.

    Reply

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James Clark from Nomadic Notes

Hi, I’m James Clark, and I've been travelling the world since 2003 while running a location independent travel business. Nomadic Notes is a travel blog featuring travel guides and notes from my travels.

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