Mount Krestova, description and photo.

Mount Krestova is one of the largest spiritual centers of Orthodoxy in Bulgaria. Other names are the city of Christ, Krestovaya Gora, Christ Mountain, the city of the Cross. This is one of the places where a very important relic for Christianity is kept. Namely - the Cross of Jesus. But this is not only a place for pilgrimage, but also a beautiful natural landscape that pleases the soul.

General description of the Cross Mountain

This mountain is a major Bulgarian spiritual center, attracting thousands of pilgrims from all over the world every year. Mount Krestova (or Hristova) is located in Bulgaria. It is located in a mountainous area in the middle Rhodopes, near the village of Borovo. Its height is more than 1.5 km above sea level. The Cross Mountain has a whole monastic complex. This Christian monastery is located at 1545 meters.

The nearest town is Asenovgrad - located forty-five kilometers from this elevation. The monastery is confined to the hidden under the ground fragment of the cross, on which Jesus Christ was crucified. In addition to all this, in a very picturesque place is located the Cross Mountain. Her photos are especially good in autumn, when all the neighborhoods to the horizon, like gold, are covered with foliage of yellow shades. The monastery is located on a beautiful meadow in the middle of the forest.

The Cross of the Lord

The name of the mountain is connected with, perhaps, the main relic of Christians - the Cross of the Lord. This cross, on which Jesus was crucified, according to legend, was hidden by the enemies of the Christian faith. Only thanks to the desperate efforts of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Elena managed to find the missing relic. A certain Jew Judas pointed to the place of the buried cross. It turned out that the enemies not only threw a cross into the cave, throwing it with various garbage and earth, but also erected a pagan temple on this place.

Christians managed to get the Cross, destroying the pagan shrine and dug it from under the ground. Together with the Cross there were two other crosses. To find out which of the crosses the Savior was crucified, succeeded in applying crosses to the body of a hopelessly sick woman. Only the third cross healed her, and he was declared authentic.

Subsequently, the Cross of the Lord showed other miracles of healing and even the resurrection from the dead. The shrine was found on the town square. In order for everyone to see it, the Cross was raised high above the heads. A part of this historic event is celebrated the church holiday of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord.

The legends of Mount Krestovoy

A special veneration of this place is connected with the legend that on the mountain, under the earth, a part of the historical cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified was buried. It is believed that this relic has a powerful healing power. Monks of the mountain recorded in their chronicles a lot of healings that occurred with believers at the top of the mountain.

Several chapels were erected in the holy place. The first of them is dedicated to the Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the rest is dedicated to the disciples (Apostles) of Christ.

In the XVII century, Mount Krestova began to have an Orthodox monastery, but in the same century it was destroyed by Muslim fanatics who carried out the forced Islamization of the population. Many monks were killed. Despite this, the worship of the Cross mountain did not stop.

Mount Krestova also has a curative sanctified spring, it is located near the chapels.

The stolen and found cross

Shortly before the Second World War, the Tsar of Bulgaria, Boris III, gave the monastery a cross weighing 66 kilograms (the weight of the cross is twice the age of Christ). Apparently, the Bulgarian crown was not particularly rich, because the donated cross consisted of iron. However, this circumstance did not save the monastery from robbery - during the war the cross was stolen. The logic of robbers who stole an iron cross that did not represent a particular value on the market is not understandable.

Be that as it may, after the war, instead of stolen, a new cross was erected, already weighing 99 kilograms. And then the old one was found by some miracle, and now it is stored in one of the chapels. Human rumor ascribes to the newly found cross a special power of healing.

Special Days

The greatest number of pilgrims comes to the monastic complex in the period of 13-14.09 each year. On September 13, the day of veneration of John Chrysostom, tens of thousands of tourists come to stay at the all-night prayer before the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord. This day is especially honored by the monks because of the legends of the monastery about the part of the Cross buried on the mountain.

In the monastery complex you can stay for the night, the monks willingly answer any questions. Entrance to the territory is free. Here there is also a church shop where you can buy literature and icons.

How to get there

The road along which you can reach the complex is Asenovgrad-Smolyan. You can get there by car or by taxi. From Asenovgrad to the mountain about 45 kilometers.

After the village of Bachkovo it is necessary to make a turn to the south. Krestova mountain is located at a distance of 6000 meters to the village of Borovo, it can be overcome by a rapid step in an hour.