The monastery is located near the village of Basarbovo, 12 km from Ruse. According to legend, St. Dimitar Basarbovski was an ordinary shepherd. One day, while grazing the village pasture, he stepped on a bird's nest. This was considered a great sin. To atone for it, Dimitar became a monk and lived a solitary and righteous life until the end of his days. After he gave up his spirit to God, water came and carried his body into the river. When they took out his relics, miracles began to happen - St. Dimitar healed and protected the village from hail.
During the Russo-Turkish War in 1769, Gen. Saltykov took the relics of the saint and, at the request of the Bulgarians from Bucharest, left them for safekeeping in Wallachia. They are kept in the Patriarchal Cathedral "St. St. Constantine and Elena" in the Romanian capital. In the 19th century, the monastery fell into disrepair, but in 1937, the monk Chrysant restored it. The church, located high in the rock, has a wooden iconostasis from a more recent period, but its structure and the cells around it give an idea of the former rock monasteries. Today, new buildings have been built near the rock monastery to accommodate pilgrims and tourists.
Open to visitors:
October to March: 08:00 - 17:00 (8 AM to 5 PM)
April to September: 08:00 - 19:00 (8 AM to 7 PM)
