Cave Monastery

The convent, originally a male monastery, was founded in the 17th c. Both the convent and the cave monastery were closed for a long time in the 20th c to be reopened in 1990s. The convent is now fully functioning, and the existing cave rooms are part of the original extensive complex.  
The remaining cave rooms are of different forms and sizes, with crucifixes and Bible quotations on the walls. There are remnants of the cave church and the holy relics in the caves. The holy well near the mountain has a designated pool area. The viewing platform offers some amazing views of the natural surroundings.
The building of the cave monastery has long been the subject of legend. It might be that the monastery started with monk who dug up the first cave, where he prayed and served God. The cave network spread, and ultimately reached the depth of a 14-storey building, had several layers with the total length of passages of 635 m. According to the witnesses, the caves were very beuatiful to look at. The main entrance had a stone passage and lovely decorations. The rooms for the monks had whitewashed walls, candles were burning in antechambers. Three layers cave passages are now open for the public. The temperature inside the caves never exceeds 4 degrees Celsius. Some places are covered with frost. Still, the caves attract thousands of visitors every year, both religious worshippers and tourists who wonder at the amazing skills of the builders of this unique monastery.