The Memorial Temple of the Birth of Christ

The Memorial Temple of the Birth of Christ (Bulgarian: Hram-pametnik Rozhdestvo Hristovo) – known as the Shipka Monastery, is situated at the south foot of the Shipka Mountain, 12 km Northwest from the town of Kazanlak. The resources for its construction were gathered from donations, in the memory of the 18 491 Russians who died for the Liberation of Bulgaria. The temple was officially opened in September 27, 1902 in the honour of the 25th anniversary of the Battle of Shipka Pass. There were Russian generals and a lot of guests of honour at the ceremony. The temple is extremely rich decorated with beautiful wall-paintings and ancient icons. The belfry is 53.4 m high and has 17 bells, the biggest of which is 12 tones. All the bells were made of the shells, gathered in the region. In 1970 the Memorial Temple was announced for a historical monument of the culture.