Zograf Monastery
Zograf Monastery is one of the 20 self-governing Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Mount Athos. It is the only Bulgarian Orthodox monastery on the peninsula, and it is ranked ninth in the Athonite, the hierarchical order of the twenty monasteries on Mount Athos.
About this building
The Zograf Monastery was founded in 973 with the support of Bulgarian rulers who believed that it was essential for their Empire to maintain a monastery in such an important place for the Eastern Orthodox monastic community such as Mount Athos.
In 1275, during the Crussades, the monastery was burnt down due to the opposition of the Athonite monks to the Second Council of Lyon, which the Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos supported.The monastery was rebuilt during the 13th and 14th centuries, under Ottoman rule and dedicated to Saint George the Zograf. The appearance of the current monastery has been largely preserved since the 16th century.
