Aladzha monastery is the most famous medieval rock monastery on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. The archeological finds and dating of the murals survived in the chapel show that the monastery flourished in the period of the Second Bulgarian State, 13th-14th C. The monastery has been attracting many explorers and visitors due to its beautiful woodland location 14 km from Varna.
The monastery rooms were cut out on two levels in the almost 40-meter high limestone rock. The church, cells, dining room, small funeral church, the crypt (tomb) and facility rooms were on the first level. The second level was a natural niche hosting the chapel at its east side. A winding wooden staircase connected the two levels.
After Bulgaria’s fall under the Ottoman rule at the end of the 14th C, Aladzha monastery gradually fell into decay and was finally abandoned, probably in the 17th-18th c. The local Christians inhabitants continued to worship this holy place through the years of the Ottoman suppression as evident by a silver signet ring of the 18th c found in the Crypt.
The real name of the monastery remains unknown. The name “Aladzha”, probably given during the ottoman rule, is as Arabic-Persian origin and means “sundry-colored“.
