Zemen Monastery St. John the Theologian

The Zemen monastery is situated just outside the town of Zemen, in a beautiful area in the skirts of the Konyavska mountain, not far away from the Zemen defile, in the valley of the Struma river. It is one of the oldest and most precious Bulgarian monuments of art and culture. The monastery church (which was restored in 1354) consists of a cross-domed building, all of it made of freestone. Its almost cubic shape makes it a remarkable monument of Bulgarian Medieval architecture. It is unique for Bulgaria. Along with its incredible architecture, the Zemen monastery is also famous for its precious ancient mural paintings, made back in 1354, when the church was last decorated. It is also the home of one of the oldеsт mural paintings of the famous Bulgarian saint Ivan Rilski.