Dragalevski Monastery

The Dragalevski monastery “The Holy Virgin of Vitosha” is situated 3 km south of Dragalevtzi, very close to Sofia, at the foot of the Vitosha mountain. It is one of the most beautiful and at the same time easiest to access monasteries in Bulgaria. It was established back in 1345 (during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom) by king Ivan Alexander. It was also patronized by king Ivan Shishman. It was destroyed in 1382, during the Turks’ invasion in Sofia, but was restored in XV century, when it turned into one of Bulgaria’s most active literary centers. During the restoration works, the little church in the monastery was decorated with beautiful mural paintings, most of which have been preserved and could still be seen today. In XVII century, the central part of the church was decorated with new mural paintings. The history of the monastery is related to the fights for Bulgaria’s Liberation from the Turkish yoke – in 1871-72, the monastery was often visited by Vasil Levski.