Rozhen Monastery

The Rozhen Monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God (, Rozhenski manastir "Rozhdestvo Bogorodichno") is the biggest monastery in the Pirin Mountains in southwestern Bulgaria. It is one of the few medieval Bulgarian monasteries well preserved until today. 
The earliest archaeological evidence of medieval life at the place is a grave with a few coins and decorations from the time of Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos (1259–1282). Some other items also date to the 13th century while the marble frieze above the central gate of the church dates to the 13th or 14th century. A couple of new buildings were constructed in the monastery at the time of Despot Alexius Slav. The earliest written source testifying to the monastery's existence is a note on a chant book from 1551, today in the Great Lavra library on Mount Athos. 
The monastery church was built before the 15th century and painted in 1597; some of those frescoes are preserved. In 1611, the south facade was painted. The Rozhen Monastery was devastated by fire between 1662 and 1674, destroying the library and severely damaging most buildings. The monastery was restored over the next century with the financial help of rich Bulgarians from the whole country. The reconstruction began in 1715 and was fully finished in 1732.
The monastery reached its apogee in the 19th century, when it was a regional centre of Orthodox Christianity and owned a lot of land in the area. Famous Bulgarian revolutionary Yane Sandanski's grave is located near the monastery.
==Honour==
Rozhen Peninsula on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after Rozhen site in relation with the Rozhen Monastery.
==Gallery==
Image:Rozhenski-manastir-ngruev.jpg|Inner yard and residential premises
Image:Rozhen Monastery TodorBozhinov (28).JPG|Entrance to the monastery church
Image:Rozhen_Monastery_-_fresco.jpg|A fresco in the Rozhen Monastery
Image:Rozhen Monastery TodorBozhinov (18).JPG|External frescoes of the church
Image:Rozhen Monastery TodorBozhinov (29).JPG|Church interior
==External links==
* Rozhen Monastery website
* Photos from Rozhen Monastery
* Images from Rozhen Monastery
* Rozhen Monastery
Category:Bulgarian Orthodox monasteries
Category:Christian monasteries in Bulgaria
Category:Blagoevgrad Province
Category:100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria
Category:18th-century architecture
Category:Christian monasteries established in the 13th century
bg:Роженски манастир
de:Kloster Roschen
es:Monasterio de Rozhen
mk:Роженски манастир
pl:Monastyr Rożeński
ru:Рождественский монастырь (Болгария)