site.btaKrepcha Rock Monastery Attracts Tourists with Early Cyrillic Inscriptions

The medieval rock monastery near Krepcha, Targovishte Region, draws visitors with its earliest known Cyrillic inscriptions. Addressing a local conference in Targovishte held Wednesday as part of the EU-backed BTA project titled Europe on Balkans - Cohesion Skills, curator Miroslav Georgiev of the local history museum highlighted the importance of developing the monastery as a tourist site.

The rock monastery is located in the Handeburunu rock massif above the left bank of the Kalakochdere River. The monastery complex includes cells, a church, and a tomb carved into the rock. Notable inscriptions in Cyrillic, Hebrew, and runic scripts adorn the walls, with some dating back to the 10th century. 

The monastery was first documented by Karel Skorpil in the early 20th century. In the 1970s, Prof. Kazimir Popkonstantinov identified a significant Cyrillic inscription dated 921 A.D., marking the death of the monk Anton, and warning against using the church as a granary.

In 2007, the site was made more accessible through a project co-financed by the European Union and Bulgaria under the PHARE Programme for regional development. A stairway with railings was built to facilitate visits. However, Georgiev noted that free public access has led to the appearance of new graffiti and damage by visitors.

Recent efforts have focused on preserving and promoting the monastery, including 3D scanning of the inscriptions and the development of a restoration project funded by a donation from Albena AD. 

BTA's Europe on Balkans: Cohesion Skills project aims to raise public awareness and foster open dialogue about cohesion policy, local achievements, and the implementation of the EU's policy priorities. The project kicked off with a conference in Veliki Preslav in November 2024. The schedule of conferences until the end of September 2025 includes events in the following cities: Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Gabrovo, Dobrich, Kazanlak, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Razgrad, Ruse, Samokov, Svishtov, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia, Stara Zagora, Troyan, Targovishte, Haskovo, Shumen, and Yambol. Cross-border conferences will be held in Belgrade, Bosilegrad, Bucharest, Edirne, Skopje, and Thessaloniki. The project builds on the Europe in the Balkans: A Common Future and Europe in Bulgaria: A Common Future projects, implemented by BTA in 2023 and 2024, respectively.