Bachkovo Monastery, Orthodox monastery in Plovdiv Province, Bulgaria
Bachkovo Monastery is a Byzantine monastery in Plovdiv Province, southern Bulgaria. The complex includes two churches, a refectory with a viewing terrace, and residential buildings enclosing a rectangular inner courtyard.
In 1083, Byzantine military commander Gregory Pakourianos founded the complex, which became a center for Georgian monastic traditions in the region during the following centuries. Turkish raids repeatedly destroyed parts of the buildings, which were rebuilt between the 16th and 17th centuries.
The name comes from the nearby village of Bachkovo, where the monastery has stood since its foundation. Visitors today can view 17th-century frescoes in the refectory and both churches, depicting everyday scenes and biblical themes in bright colors.
Visitors can enter the courtyard and main churches on most days, but should wear modest clothing. Holidays and services in the morning and early evening often draw many worshippers inside.
In a separate ground-floor room, the bones of former monks rest in a charnel vault whose walls are entirely covered with 14th-century paintings. These depictions show life after death and rank among the oldest surviving frescoes in the complex.
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