Description of the attraction
The Churilov Monastery of St. George (sometimes also called the Igumensky or St. George Monastery) is located on the southern slope of the Ograzhden mountains, not far from the village of Churilovo. It is believed to have been founded in the 14th century and revived in 1858. The decree of Sultan Abdul Majid on the "expansion and construction" of the Church of St. George, issued on March 5, 1857, has survived to this day.
Scientists draw information about the construction of the monastery from the inscriptions discovered. Two of them say that on March 10, 1858, work was carried out on the reconstruction of the church, and the third tells about the bell tower erected in 1870. In addition, the texts mention an old temple that once stood on the site of the current church. There is also a list of the names of the abbots of the temple and church leaders who allocated funds for its construction and restoration.
The monastery church, named after St. George, is a three-aisled pseudo-basilica with an open narthex located on the west side and awnings on the south and north sides. It is a massive stone structure reaching 24 meters in length and 12 meters in width. Of interest are the preserved frescoes of 1858, and especially the scenes "Judgment Day", "Ordeals of the Soul" that adorn the walls of the vestibule. The Church of St. George was given the status of a cultural monument of national importance.
According to legend, the construction of the monastery began in 1848. The monastery has about 10 thousand square meters. meters of land on which the old buildings of the religious school are located (two classrooms have been preserved), a refectory and a kitchen, a church, a bell tower, a slaughterhouse, courtyards, fields and gardens.
