Izvor monastery “Assumption”, Municipality of Vidin

Izvor Monastery "Assumption" ("Holy Mary") is operational female Bulgarian Orthodox monastery, which is is situated 2 km from village of Izvor in a very picturesque area covered with large forest on a steep bank of a tributary of Archar River. Strong evidence for creation of this monastery does not exist. Only surviving written source is unclear inscription on a throne stone pillar in the altar, pursuant to which the construction of the monastery was built during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. According to other reports, the monastery was founded in the 12th century by the Russian prince Izvor Taborsky, but after the fall of the Vidin Kingdom under Ottoman rule it was plundered by the Turks, the monks had fled and it had utterly desolated. It was restored again after 250 years of monk Sylvester. Reports from marginal, located in the monastery manuscript Life of St. Ephrema Syrian monastery was originally called "Dry creek", and after its restoration - "Izvorski".

In 1767 it was considered an improved monastery, which regularly come to church the people from neighboring villages and some noble peasants were buried in its yard, even from more distant villages. To 1860 it was governed by abbots. The last of them was Agapi monk, who persecuted by the Turks, fled to Serbia in 1861, leaving in the monastery four monks. Three of them Kirik, Gavril and Hrisand built the nowadays iconostasis of the church in 1867, as pointed out in several inscriptions on icons and on altar royal door. The temple features with a little dome and its Byzantine painting in which especially is distinguished the image of God the Father, the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ entrusting crown to the Holy Mary, where stood an angel. At present, the dome and the nice painting do not exist, and on their place was built vault ceiling, which is also decorated with beautiful paintings, and the narthex was demolished. Now, the monastery has been transformed into a female.

The church was restored in 1923 with funds from the Diocese of Vidin and donations from the laity of Vidin and Lom. The murals were painted by Gospodin Serbezov, who painted and some of the scenes in the church "St. Dimitar" in Vidin. In 1988-1989on the place of the then one-storey building of Izvor monastery was built three- storey monastic complex with facilities for guests with water, canalization and heating.

The church holiday is 15 August.

The condition of the monastery is good and there is a free access to it. Izvor Monastery is located on 2 km south of the village of Izvor, on 9 km from the town of Dimovo and on about 40 km from Vidin. It is accessible by the main road (E79) from Vidin to Montana, as the diversion to the monastery is in town of Dimovo.

Contacts:

Tel: +359 (0) 0898 330 027

Web site: www.izvorskimanastir.com

Izvorski monastery has beds for 20 people; the rooms have private bathrooms and satellite TV. The monastery's dining room for 40 people.