Immersed in the hugs of the little-known Rzhana Mountain, the Nativity of the Mother of God Monastery tells us a story of a preserved medieval legend. Its church with seven altars, turned into seven chapels and dedicated to seven Bulgarian saints is unique in the Orthodox lands.

According to the legend, in the 9th century seven boyar brothers founded the holy monastery high in the mountain and created seven settlements around it - Ogradishte, Bukovets, Osenovlag, Ogoya, Leskovdol, Lakatnik and Zhelen. The brothers built the monastery church with seven thrones, one for each, so the people called the place "The Seven Thrones". In the central altar of the temple the boyars placed the icon of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, probably brought from Mount Athos, and in one of the others - the image of St. Thomas.

"The monastery marks its holidays on the Nativity of the Mother of God and on the Sunday of St. Thomas," theologian Petar Vutov says. “Many people come and even spend the night here. When I take these hikers in the footsteps of St. Ivan Rilski, I lead them from the Cherepish Monastery through the whole of the Rzhana mountain. The river divides the two components of Stara Planina - these are Golema Planina and Rzhana Planina. Golema Mountain is on the other side of the river, and the monastery is in Rzhana Mountain itself.”

In 1737, Sultan Mahmud I, who earned the nickname "The Godless" because of his evil deeds, ordered the destruction of many centers of faith, including the Seven Thrones Monastery. However, the monastery was rebuilt and in 1848 the school of hieromonk Hristofor opened its doors there.

Many historical figures have stayed in it over the years. Here Bulgaria’s poet Ivan Vazov received inspiration for some of his works.

The Rzhana Mountain, part of the Balkan Mountain range, is the start of four routes that the rebels led by Hristo Botev took after the death of the great Bulgarian poet and revolutionary. The hike along a single trail lasts eight to nine hours and is a test of the will and skill of every tourist. And the reward is the immersive contact with nature and its gifts.

The Iskar Gorge - Rzhana Mountain Protected Area covers an area of 20,000 hectares, Olya Genova, a senior expert at the Vratsa Balkan Nature Reserve Directorate says and adds:

“Here we strive to preserve an orchid, which is among the largest of its kind - it is very beautiful and interesting. There are many fish species and among the mammals we can see wolves, otters, ferrets. There are also over six species of bats that inhabit not only caves but also old beech forests. There are various invertebrates, as well as amphibians and reptiles that are also protected.”

According to the mayor of the village of Ignatitsa, Ivo Hristov, everyone who comes to Rzhana Mountain quickly falls in love with it.

"This is a virgin mountain with no huts or shelters. I really like when people come here. It would be good to develop tourism as that is all we can do here in the Balkan Mountain,” he says.

Compiled by: Diana Tsankova /based on interviews/

English: Alexander Markov

Photos: BNR-Vidin