Shipchenskiya manastir "Sv. Rozhdestvo Hristovo"

The Shipka Monastery, a golden lamp in the Balkan range

Perched on a wooded slope above the village of Shipka, in the heart of the Balkan Mountains (Stara Planina) and not far from the Uzana plateau, the Monastery of the Nativity of Christ (Rozhdestvo Hristovo) — known worldwide as the Shipka Memorial Temple — is one of Bulgaria's most recognisable churches. Its gilded onion domes, built in 17th-century Russian style, gleam through the treetops and can be seen from far away.

The church was raised as a memorial to the Russian, Bulgarian and volunteer soldiers who fell in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, above all in the desperate fighting at the Shipka Pass that opened the road to Bulgaria's liberation from Ottoman rule. Construction was completed in the early 20th century and the temple was consecrated in 1902, funded largely by donations from Russia and Bulgaria.

What to see

The architecture follows the Muscovite-era Russian church model, with five gilded domes and a bell tower over 50 metres high. The tower holds bells cast, by tradition, from shell casings gathered on the battlefield; the largest weighs several tonnes. Inside, marble plaques carry the names of the fallen units and soldiers, while crypts beneath the church hold the remains of the defenders. The iconostasis and wall paintings preserve the solemn, memorial atmosphere.

Practical

The monastery is easily reached by car from Gabrovo, Kazanlak or Shipka, and is a natural stop on the way to the Freedom Monument on Shipka Peak and the Uzana mountain area. As an active place of worship, modest dress is expected (covered shoulders and knees, heads uncovered for men) and quiet during services. Late spring and autumn are loveliest, when the beech forest turns colour. Nearby: the Shipka Pass, the Valley of the Roses and the Thracian tombs near Kazanlak.