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St.Petka Monastery

St.Petka Monastery was set up during the reign of Tzar Ivan Alexander in the middle of the XIV century. It was three times destroyed by the Ottoman conquerors and repeatedly rebuilt with the help of donations endowed by Bulgarian people living in the nearby villages. Today it has retained its impressive outlook from the first half of the XIX century. Part of St. Petka relics are kept in it.
High up in the mountains. High up in the mountains.
High up in the mountains.
The monastery is embowered in the Rhodopes, 20km to the south-west of Plovdiv.
The April Uprising The April Uprising
The April Uprising
The monastery is closely connected with the Bulgarian National Liberation Movement. The haidouks Angel Voivode and Zhelyo Tanev used to find sanctuary behind its walls. During the preparation of the April Uprising, ammunition and food for the rebels were made and stored in it.  
Vasil Levski Vasil Levski
Vasil Levski
The monastery used to give shelter to Vasil Levski during his tours of the Rhodopes before the April Uprising. The great revolutionary's hiding-place in the monastery is still preserved.
The Monastery Church The Monastery Church
The Monastery Church
The monastery church has some very interesting architectural peculiarities: it is a quite tall and spacious building with no domes, but featuring an outdoor arcade with seven masoned columns, forming four separate arches.