The Holy Mother Step

Close to the Stara Zagora mineral baths is located a district called the Holy Mother Step. The Holy Mother Step is a big concave rock having the form a human step. Close to it there lies a kind of stone sarcophagus. The district has high bio-energy power and the local people believe that it helps curing a lot of illnesses. The natives remember several legends for the place. One of the stories tells that once Holy Mary has passed through the district. According to another legend the monks that carried the relics of St. Ivan Rilski spent the night here. In 2003 a chapel called Nativity of Holy Virgin Mary was opened here. When the native man Neicho Petkov started building the temple in 2002 only a small path lead to the holy place with never drying up healing water in the step. Nowadays, there is a wide road leading to the church, and 250 coniferous trees are planted nearby. Close to the church there are a summerhouse, benches and tables. Each year, on the big Christian holiday the Nativity of Holy Virgin Mary lots of people come here, walking a few kilometers, to light a candle in the chapel.