Bulgaria Inside

Pravets monastery St. Teodor Tiron is a relatively small one, situated only few km away from the town of Pravets. Take the road to Etropole and you will see the sanctuary in the folds of Stara Planina Mountain.

Etropole monastery Sveta Troitsa is also nearby, situated only 15 km away.

Pravets monastery is the only one that carries that name in Bulgaria. Teodor Tiron was a soldier in the Roman army. Locals see the saint as Pravet’s protector. The names Todor and Teodor are very common there.

Little is known of the monastery’s history. Almost all books and old writings were destroyed. Some historians believe that a Thracian sanctuary was situated there. According to them, the monastery was created during the reign of Asen and Petur.

An assault took place in 1636 and the monastery was totally destroyed a century later. It was renovated in 1866.

After Bulgaria gained its independence, the monastery became the home of nuns for a short period of time. After World War II, a priest moved there. In the 60s, he decided to become a tractor driver.

The monastery’s church is small and made entirely of stone. Several years ago, business representatives and Pravets municipality decided to collect funds for the renovation of the church. The only unchanged things remain the iconostasis and the main dome.

A parking and an alley were created in the monastery’s yard. The yard is also the starting point of a beautiful eco path that connects the monastery to the town of Pravets.

Accommodation is possible in the monastery, though it is small. No more than 15 people can spend the night there and the cost is modest. A summer-house in the yard offers excellent barbecuing conditions but try to keep the noise down.

Father Yoan has been looking after the monastery for the past 10 years. He tried to find as much as possible about the monastery’s history. His hospitality is heart-warming and he will tell you all he knows about the sanctuary.

In March 2008, the monastery got a special present from the Rousse bishop. It now houses the remains of its patron saint Teodor Tiron.