Price: In the northern slopes of the hill Karkariya of Batak part of the mountain is located Batkunski monastery " St. Peter and Paul ." For its construction there are two opinions - some scientists believe that it happened during XII-XIV century, and according to others - early XII century in support of the second statement there an inscription in Greek on a marble slab found in the church "St . Dimitar " in the village Patalenitsa . Nowadays, when the monastery was built is not essential if you hope to see the monastery characteristic of these centuries . After the XVII century the monastery was looted , burned , and rebuilt again in 1774 was razed to the ground by Kurdzhalii . Cloister was restored at the end of XIX century What you see today is a one-nave building without a dome church , to which is attached the west facade beautiful belfry. According to historical records , in 1872 the monastery was visited by Bulgarian revolutionary Vasil Levski . During one of his tours in Pazardzhik , Apostle of Liberty stopped in Batkun monastery and founded a revolutionary committee with representatives from the surrounding villages - Patalenitsa Batkun , Tsrancha , Elidere ( today Vetrendol ) and Yamurchovo ( today Mokrishte ) . Plaque reminiscent of the works of Vasil Levski .
Important place in the monastery occupies a room decorated with frescoes , which in 1867 lived Stanislav Dospevski - famous Bulgarian Renaissance artist. Known under the pseudonym Zafir Zograph son of Dimitar Zograph and nephew Zachary Zograph. What must be noted about it is that it is one of the first Bulgarian to academic art education. During his stay in Batkun monastery Dospevski painted four icons: " Mary ," " Christ ," " Ubros ", " Cosmas and Damian" and two portraits : a monk and his sister. These portraits valuable examples of Bulgarian Renaissance painting is now kept in Plovdiv Bishopric .
Another connoisseur of the monastery was Pazardzhik Governor Ali Bey . He often visited the monastery because he was there found healing.
Landmark in the monastery " St. Peter and Paul " is an old vine. According to experienced growers her age is over 500 years old. If the data of comprehensive studies are true , which makes it the oldest vine in the Balkans. One time the size of the vine - petvekovnitsa been extraordinary. The circumference of the stent it was 1.10 m , and the crown it was about 70-80 times higher than it is today. Unfortunately, in 1978, a fierce storm broke the scaffolding and destroyed the vine of the earth. Now in the trunk of the old vine have developed two new stems. Vine is guarded by the state and is declared a landmark .
To reach the monastery Batkun , use the exit to the village Patalenitsa . Cloister is a few kilometers after Pazardzhik main road to Sofia.
- Monastery
