www.ignatov-art.comThis model of St. Rila Monastery is the one and only unique version of its kind not only in Bulgaria but in the world. The making of this great model version of the famous Bulgarian Monastery, St. John of Rila, began on 2nd September 1991,and was concluded on 29th October 2008 has taken Mr. Ignatov 17 years and 2 months to build. The model is 2 sq/m big. The author has visited the monastery 34 times while making this model version. He has used the following quantities and materials to complete this unique model: 4,497,000 matches, 73 litres – glue, 500 lighters (for burning the end of the matches), 360 stones, such as: 100 purls, emerald, jade, amber, ruby, opal, gill crystals, mother-of-pearl and tigers eye. The foundations are built out of copper and copper coins. On the east side of the model, has been created a 1:1 bishops room as the ones from the 18-29 century. The model has been sanctified in the church of St. Ivan of Rila in the Holy Seminary in Sofia. It has beaten the Guinness Record! At the moment, Plamen Ignatov has put on sale some of his works: the castle Victory, The Temptation, The Great Pyramid of Giza and the Sphinx, The Rila Monastery and a catholic church from a painting of Bernard Buffet. All of those creations are one of their kind. You can commission a custom-made icon or portrait.For more information please visit www.ignatov-art.com

RILA MONASTERY was founded in the l0th century by the Bulgarian monk St. John of Rila and was rebuilt in the l3th -l4th century. From that time are the fortress tower (1334), the bishop’s throne, richly carved doors and some manuscripts, icon-paintings and church plates.The Rila Monastery has been listed as a world monument of culture.

Rila Monastery in Bulgaria 2008www.garywritesablog.com

Religious tourism in Bulgaria – Rila monastery