Posts Tagged ‘yambol’

Trip to Kabile nun monastery (Nativity of Theotokos) near Yambol Bulgaria

Friday, August 31st, 2012

Kabile Monastery Nativity of Theotokos (Bulgaria) monastic church photo

Yesterday for few hours on our way back from Shipchenski Monastery, we went through Kabile Monastery (a nun monastery located 6 kilometers from Yambol Bulgaria and just 1 km away from the nearest village Kabile. According to Church tradition in V-th century during the reign of Byzantine emperor Constantine on the same place used to a huge early Christian cloister

Also according to local Church tradition, st. Helena (Elena) – the Mother of Emperor Constantine regularly sent her servents to take Holy Water from the Monastic Holy Spring. Even in the ancient times of existence the monastery is very probably the monastery was inhabited by nuns.
It is known the monastery continued its existence until the falling of Bulgaria under Ottoman Turkish 5 centuries (yoke) Slavery.

According to some annalist saint Bulgarian patriarch Evtimiy of Tarnovo (the last bulgarian Church autonomous patriarch before the fall of Bulgaria under the Turkish yoke) passed through Kabile cloister during his exile by Turkish sultan in Bachkovo Monastery. Tradition says Turkish soldiers believed there is a hidden treasure somewhere in the monastery(the monasteries at 12th, 13th century was rich and often contained many treasures). Because invaders couldn’t find any precious stones or hidden gold inside monastery Turkish soldiers decided to burn down the monastery to the ground and buried the holy (healing water) spring.

Onwards for many centuries the monastic holy land was deserted, but locals from generation to generation kept the memory of the once great monatery alive. The consequential story on how the monatery was restored is quite long. A short version of the history goes like this. />
In year 1919, God appeared in a vision to old village lady Maria and told her where she has to dig to find the centuries “hidden” holy spring. In the vision the lady was told the monastic holy spring will be for restoration and healing of multitudes of people suffering from all kind of diseases.
The news about the re-finding of the Holy Spring, spread in the whole region and people started coming to drink from the Holy Spring to cure themselves from all kind of incurable diseases. The field where the monastery nowdays is was donated soon after by its owner Stoian Ganev

By God’s providence in period 1919 – 1945, the monastery was rebuilt. The monastery was restored thanks to big efforts of Georgi Nikolov (a humble Christian) who travelled continously for years from village to village in Yambol and Sliven region collecting donations for rebuilding.

Kabile Monastery monastic yard


Kabile Monastic Yard

The monastery official name is Birth (Nativity) of Holy Theotokos Virgin Marry (Rojdestvo Bogorodichno) and currently is inhabited by 7 nuns. In the monastery there is a regular everyday morning and evening prayer service, a holy liturgy is served every Sunday. Similar to ancient times, the monastery has a special baptizmal chamber. Many people choose to baptize there children as a blessing in there. Abbot of the Monastery in present times is the lady Minodora.

Kabile Monastery - the Nativity of Theotokos nun monastery near Yambol (Bulgaria)

The little “spiritual desert” of The Nativity of Theotokos is great place for anyone looking for a silent place for pilgrimage to spend some time in solitude and prayer to the Lord God.

Here are few pictures from the monastery, I didn’t bring a camera with me hence I hold no copyright over pictures (copyright belong to there respective authors):

Kabile Nun Monastery near Yambol Bulgaria monastic Holy Spring photo

Kabile Nun Monastery (Bulgaria) – Healing Spring water photo

Inside the monastic Church view to alter doorway Kabile Monastery Bulgaria

Inside the little Church of Kabile Monastery

Manastir Kabile Nativity of the Theotokos Bulgaria

Thanks be to God for all his kindness in showing me this nice spiritual place 🙂