Dragalevtsi Monastery

Dragalevtsi Monastery of the Holy Mother of God of Vitosha (Bulgarian: Драгалевски манастир „Света Богородица Витошка“, Dragalevski manastir „Sveta Bogoroditsa Vitoshka“) is a Bulgarian Orthodox monastery on the lower slopes of Vitosha mountain on the outskirts of the capital Sofia in western Bulgaria.It was rebuilt in the second half of the 15th century with the financial support of local feudal lord Radoslav Mavar and rapidly developed into a repository of Bulgarian cultural records.[1] In 1612, while staying at Dragalevtsi Monastery, the monk Job Kasinets from Timișoara wrote the Boyana Beadroll, a list of medieval Bulgarian rulers.[1] In the late 19th century, Dragalevtsi Monastery was often visited by national hero Vasil Levski, who used it as a centre for his revolutionary activities.[1] The frescoes of warrior saints Demetrius of Thessaloniki, George and Mercurius on the upper reaches of the west facade date to 1475–1476.
Apse view of a late medieval stone church with a tiled roof and a residential building in the background, all located in a forested area
The church of Dragalevtsi Monastery with the living quarters in the background
Medieval fresco of an armoured saint on a white horse swinging a sword
Fresco of Saint Mercurius on the exterior of the west wall of the church
Eastern OrthodoxEmperor Ivan Alexander of BulgariaVitosha MountainBulgariaBulgarianBulgarian OrthodoxmonasteryVitoshaBulgarian tsarIvan AlexanderDragalevtsiSecond Bulgarian EmpireVitosha CharterIvan ShishmanOttomansTimișoarascriptoriumpsalterVasil LevskiSaint MercuriusChurch of St Petka of the SaddlersKremikovtsi Monasteryktetorswarrior saintsDemetrius of ThessalonikiGeorgeMercuriusknightKaloyaniconostasisSamokov