On August 15, Assumption of the Holy Mary, the Sokol Monastery near Gabrovo celebrated its temple feast. And if you have not visited the virgin monastery, it is a wonderful occasion to enjoy the unique natural landscape and the icons of the famous Zahari Zograph. The monastery is located 12 km from Gabrovo and 4 km away from the most famous landmark in the region – the ethnographic reserve Etara. It bears its name from the Sokolska Cave, where the first chapel of the monastery was built.
Close to the altar in the church of the monastery, there is an icon of the Virgin Mary, believed to possess miraculous power and heals incurable diseases. For decades, it is believed that if you want to get rid of problems and illnesses, you should visit the monastery the night before the temple feast and spend the night in prayers to be heard. The nun who takes care of the virgin monastery will answer your questions about the monastery or about the Christian symbols in his temple if you have any.
No less interesting than the painted temple and the two icons of Zachary Zograph, which are stored in it, is the tap in the courtyard of the cloister. It was built by the most famous Bulgarian master – builder Kolyo Ficheto. The fountain is eight-storied, and each wall and spout, from which water springs, were raised in memory of the perished resurrections during the April uprising by the detachment of Tsanko Dyustabanov.
The rebellions against the Ottoman empire first hid in the monastery, which at that time was inhabited by monks. In one of the battles, however, eight rebellions were captured and hanged, and their bodies were thrown into the abyss near the Sokol Monastery. To leave a memory of their heroism, Kolyo Ficheto built for free the fountain in the yard of the monastery, from which you can now drink cold water in the summer heat. According to the legend, the fountain never dries and has miraculous abilities to heal the sick.
