The Monastery of Saint John of Rila, also known as Rila Monastery (“St. Ivan Rilski”), is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. It is situated in the southwestern Rila Mountains, 117km (73mi) south of the capital Sofia in the deep valley of the Rilska River (“Rila River”) at an elevation of 1,147m (3,763ft) above sea level, inside of Rila Monastery Nature Park and in close vicinity of the Rila Monastery ForestNature Reserve. The monastery is named after its founder, the hermit Saint Ivan of Rila (876–946 AD), and houses approximately 60 monks. The monastery is a popular pilgrimage site for many Orthodox Christians.
Founded in the 10th century, Rila Monastery is regarded as one of Bulgaria’s most important cultural, historical and architectural monuments and is a key tourist attraction for both Bulgaria and Southern Europe for religious tourists. In 2008 alone it attracted 900,000 visitors. The monastery is depicted on the reverse of the 1lev banknote issued in 1999.
