Through centuries of war, shifting borders and rebellions against foreign conquerors, the Orthodox Church has been at the core of the Bulgarian indentity. At the core of the Church, was the admiration and appreciation of the ascetic who removed her/himself from society to seek an understanding of God, through prayer and solitude, as did similar believers among the Greek Orthodox Christians. While the latter Christians built their monasteries "in the sky", Bulgarian ascetics at Aladja carved monastic cells and a small church into a sheer rock face that can be found 14km (8.5 miles) from the modern city of Varna on the Black Sea. Ironically, this is very close to Black Sea resort of Golden Sands. Golden Sands, by the way, reminds me very much of South Beach, in Miami Floria. Source: www.travel-bulgaria.com
Bulgaria: land of Continuity and Change
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