Today I will show you a new way. A new way of living.
Near Varna we will find a park that is qualified as a natural reserve.
But we will not simply hike in nature. My friends welcome to the Aladzha Monastery.
When I entered the Aladzha complex, my first thought was that it is one of the most serene places I have ever visited. Very feng shui, if I can share a feeling maybe slightly out of place.
As we move on, you probably notice a cliff rising ahead of us.
So, you think that the monastery is on top of the twenty five meters high cliff? Well not. It is in the cliff itself!
The Aladzha Monastery was hewn in the karst cliff in the Middle Ages. The medieval construction industry had limited tools and resources. But karst is a type of rock that is prone to alterations and sensitive to water so smaller and larger caves from naturally.
The caves that form the monastery are spread on three levels.
Aladzha housed a hesychasm community of monks who focused on contemplation and prayer. Hence the chapel was rather large.
The monastery covered a three levels. Let's go down to where the monks lived.
The cell of the abbot was modest.
This is what it is believed to have looked like in the twelfth century.
If the cell of the abbot was modest then I am not sure which word to use to describe the cell of a monk. I think the space is only sufficient to lie down and sleep. No personal belongings, no privacy.
At least the refectory and kitchen were large.
The highest floor includes a smaller corridor. I would expect the monks did nothing but kneel there - it was probably 1.5 meter high.
But the best reward from climbing up the cliff is the view. With the see in front and the mountain behind - it is very feng shui in the end.
Near Varna we will find a park that is qualified as a natural reserve.
But we will not simply hike in nature. My friends welcome to the Aladzha Monastery.
When I entered the Aladzha complex, my first thought was that it is one of the most serene places I have ever visited. Very feng shui, if I can share a feeling maybe slightly out of place.
As we move on, you probably notice a cliff rising ahead of us.
So, you think that the monastery is on top of the twenty five meters high cliff? Well not. It is in the cliff itself!
The Aladzha Monastery was hewn in the karst cliff in the Middle Ages. The medieval construction industry had limited tools and resources. But karst is a type of rock that is prone to alterations and sensitive to water so smaller and larger caves from naturally.
The caves that form the monastery are spread on three levels.
Aladzha housed a hesychasm community of monks who focused on contemplation and prayer. Hence the chapel was rather large.
The monastery covered a three levels. Let's go down to where the monks lived.
The cell of the abbot was modest.
This is what it is believed to have looked like in the twelfth century.
If the cell of the abbot was modest then I am not sure which word to use to describe the cell of a monk. I think the space is only sufficient to lie down and sleep. No personal belongings, no privacy.
At least the refectory and kitchen were large.
The highest floor includes a smaller corridor. I would expect the monks did nothing but kneel there - it was probably 1.5 meter high.
But the best reward from climbing up the cliff is the view. With the see in front and the mountain behind - it is very feng shui in the end.
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