Belashtinski monastery

The Belashtinski monastery St. George the Victorious is functioning girls monastery. It is located in the western Rhodope Mountains near the village Belashtitsa, 12 kilometers south of Plovdiv. The monastery was built in 1020 by the Byzantine commander Nikifor Skifi, who had great contribution to the defeat of the army of Tsar Samuil in 1014 in Belasitsa mountain. As a reward Emperor Basil II gave Skifi 15 000 Bulgarian prisoners. Later they founded the village Belashtitsa. The fortress of Nikifor Skifi was situated south of the village, where remains of it can still be seen. Close to it the Byzantine commander built the monastery and dedicated it to St. George the Victorious. In 1364, during the invasion of the Ottomans, the monastery was destroyed and in 18 century was rebuilt again. It was burnt down in 1878 during the last battles of the Russian-Ottoman War. After the Liberation the monastery was restored, but remains under the authority of the Istanbul Patriarchate until 1906. It represents a complex of church, chapel and residential and farm buildings. The church is single-apse basilica with indoor and outdoor narthex, without dome and wall paintings. It was built in 1838. Under the open narthex is the holy spring, which has remained since the foundation of the monastery. The Belashtinski monastery has been declared a cultural monument.