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Rila Monastery

Rila Monastery was founded in the 10th century by St John of Rila, a hermit canonized by the Orthodox Church. His ascetic dwelling and tomb became a holy site and were transformed into a monastic complex which played an important role in the spiritual and social life of medieval Bulgaria. Destroyed by fire at the beginning of the 19th century, the complex was rebuilt between 1834 and 1862. A characteristic example of the Bulgarian Renaissance (18th–19th centuries), the monument symbolizes the awareness of a Slavic cultural identity following centuries of occupation.

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/216

The Rila Monastery is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. At the heart of this monastery's history is the story of the medieval hermit Ivan. He was born in the 970's, and chose seclusion because of the moral decline during the reign of the Bulgarian Tsar Peter. He retreated to the almost inaccessible Rila Mountains. There he worked on his ideas, that were aimed at the underprivileged and for equality between people. His cave became a place of veneration for the Bulgarian people. 

After his death, his legend only became stronger. His relics were transferred all over the Balkans by contemporary leaders to give legitimacy to their rule and power. Since the 15th century they have been laid to rest in the monastery itself. 

Rila's monastic buildings originally date from the late 10th century, and were set up by the monastic community around Ivan. In the 14th century they were turned into a fortress by Hrelyo Dragovol, a feudal lord. Part of the walls and the tower today still remind of that period. 

On January 13th 1833, a fire broke out and destroyed almost all (wooden) residential quarters. This national calamity was put right by thousands of Bulgarian craftsmen, that restored the buildings in a couple of years. The auspicious church in the center of the monastic grounds, the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin, was constructed in the same period. The master builder Pavel of Krimin, who also had worked on Mount Athos, was responsible for the design. 

http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/rilamonastery.html