RILSKI MONASTERYRILSKI MONASTERY, ST. IVAN RILSKI, IS ONE OF THEMOST IMPRESSIVE MONUMENTS OF BULGARIANARCHITECTURE AND ART. IT IS THE OLDEST INHABITEDCLOISTER IN OUR COUNTRY. IT WAS ALSO THE BIGGESTLITERARY CENTER IN BULGARIA DURING THE OTTOMANOCCUPATION. THE MONASTERY WAS FOUNDED IN THE 10THCENTURY BY THE BULGARIAN HERMIT IVAN RILSKI. ATITS PRESENT LOCATION, THE MONASTERY WAS ERECTEDIN 14TH CENTURY AS AT THE BEGINNING ONLY ONEDEFENCE TOWER WAS BUILT. THE SUCCEEDING MOSTIMPORTANT PART OF THE BUILDING OF THE MONASTERYWAS THE PERIOD 1816 1870 WHEN, WITH FUNDSCOLLECTED FROM THE WHOLE NATION AND THE HARD WORKOF MANY MASTER BUILDERS, WOOD CUTTERS,ICON PAINTERS, SCULPTORS AND ARTISTS, THE BIGGESTBULGARIAN MONASTERY WAS BUILT. IT HAS BEENDECLARED AS AN INTERNATIONAL MONUMENT BY UNESCO.THE MONASTERY IS LOCATED IN RILA MOUNTAIN, 120 KMSOUTH WEST FROM SOFIA, AND 4 KM FROM THE TOWN OFRILA................................53 KMBANSKOTHE HOLY TRINITY COMPOUND TEMPLE PRESENTS ONE OFTHE GREATEST HISTORIC AND CULTURAL LANDMARKS OFTHE TOWN OF BANSKO. THE CHURCH WAS BUILT IN 1835BY LOCAL MASTERS ON THE INITIATIVE OF THEINFLUENTIAL MERCHANT, LAZAR GERMAN. THE BUILDINGIS A THREE NAVE PSEUDO BASILICA AND IS ONE OF THEBIGGEST IN THE COUNTRY. THE ICONOSTASIS AND THEPAINTING ON THE COLUMNS ARE THE WORK OF USTAVELIAN OGNEV AND THE ICONS ARE PAINTED BY THERENOWNED MASTERS FROM BANSKO ICONOGRAPHIC SCHOOL DIMITAR AND SIMEON MOLLEROV. IN CLOSE PROXIMITYTO THE CHURCH IS ERECTED A 30 METERS HIGH CLOCKBELL TOWER. THE TWO FACED CLOCK ON THE BELLTOWER, WHICH MEASURES THE EXACT TIME FOR 150YEARS NOW, IS MADE BY THE SELF TAUGHT MASTERFROM BANSKO TODOR HADJIRADONOV. THE FOUR CHURCHBELLS ARE THE WORK OF THE LOCAL EMINENT MOULDERSVELLIGANOV BROTHERS. IT WAS IN THE HOLY TRINITYCHURCH WHERE IN 1912 THE INDEPENDENCE OF BANSKOWAS PROCLAIMED..............................40 KMMELNIKIN THE SOUTH WESTERN FLANKS OF PIRIN MOUNTAIN ISSITUATED THE SMALLEST TOWN IN BULGAR