Arapovo Monastery

The Arapovo Monastery (Arapovo is the old name of the village of Zlatovruh), is the only Bulgarian monastery built not in a secured mountain spot but in an open valley. Also, it is the only monastery built during the Ottoman rule. The monasterys real name is St.Nedelya (meaning “Sunday”). It was built in 1856.  It is remarkable with the mural paintings in the church, made by the talented Bulgarian Revival period artist Alexy Atanassov from Negoush and his student George Dantchov. 

The master-painters depicted scenes of the life of Cyril and Methodius, the creators of the Slavonic literacy, which is unique for the Bulgarian school of painting: the creation of the Slavonic letters, the adoption of Christianity by Knjaz (prince) Boris I and the enlightenment of the Bulgarian people. There are remarkable scenes of the death and the burial of St. St. Cyril and Methodius, as well as images of various Bulgarian saints. There are also many historical scenes depicting peasants in national costumes.