Monastery of Saint John of Rila

The Monastery of Saint John of Rila, also known as Rila Monastery ("Sveti Ivan Rilski", is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. It is situated in the southwestern Rila Mountains, 117 km south of the capital Sofia in the deep valley of the Rilska River at an elevation of 1,147 m above sea level, inside of Rila Monastery Nature Park and in close vicinity of the Rila Monastery Forest Nature Reserve. The monastery is named after its founder, the hermit Saint Ivan of Rila, and houses approximately 60 monks. The monastery is a popular pilgrimage site for many Orthodox Christians.