The Church of St. Athanasius the Great is located near the center of Kalofer. It is the only church in Kalofer, located on the right bank (south) of the Tundzha River.
It is no coincidence that the history of the town during the long foreign rule is full of names of famous bandits, outlaws and rebels, starting with Kalifer Voivode and going through Grandpa Mlatchko, Chono Chorbadzhi, Dobri Voivode, Galab Voivode and others.
The temple was built in 1842 in the form in which I see it today, on the foundations of an older church that had existed on this site since time immemorial. It is known that even before the 19th century there was a cell here, in which monks from Mount Athos lived, working for the spiritual upliftment of the Kalofer population.
I learn about the year of the temple's restoration from a marble slab hidden in the lintel of one of the church's windows, on which a relief graphic is carved and an inscription is placed:
1842 March 25
The church was also rebuilt in the name of our Saint Athanasius.
The inscription also notes that the builder of the church was master Stoyo Ivanov from Bratsigovo.
The old oak door is ajar. I push it, it creaks, and I enter.
On the left is the bell tower of the temple. On the right is the temple itself.
Architecturally, the church is a massive three-aisled pseudo-basilica, to which a narthex (vestibule) is attached from the west.
The building has two entrances – western and southern. The altar part has four niches in the eastern wall and one in the southern. The body of the church is divided into three naves with two rows of five columns with simple capitals.
The columns are stone and an emporium stands on the last two pairs to the west. The staircase to the emporium is located in the southwest corner of the common space. The massive construction of the church is made of granite blocks, glued together with mortar.
A great value for the church is its unique marble iconostasis. It was probably made by Greek craftsmen. The beautiful iconostasis of the temple was paid for with donations from the aba manufacturers, born in Kalofer and working in Istanbul. It cost approximately 50,000 groschen and was transported here with ox carts.
After the Liberation, in the recovering city, which was almost completely burned to the ground by the Turks in 1877 during the Great Fire, a cell school was housed in the cells of the temple. Due to the special circumstances, boys and girls were educated there for the first time.
When in 1880 the new four-grade male school was built on the left bank of the Tundzha, known as the Daskal Botevoto School, only girls remained to study in the cells. With the construction of the new girls' school in 1888, education in these cells was completely discontinued.
In 1964, the church of St. Athanasius the Great in Kalofer was declared a cultural monument of local importance.
About Saint Athanasius the Great
Saint Athanasius the Great, also known as Athanasius I the Great, Patriarch of Alexandria (Greek: Αθανάσιος) was an Egyptian theologian and cleric, Patriarch of Alexandria from 328 to 373. He was one of the most prominent theologians and defenders of the purity of the faith and is considered the first spreader of monasticism that emerged in Egypt in Europe. For these deeds, he was glorified by early Christianity as "the Great".
He is best known for his opposition to Arius and Arianism. He is revered by all Christians, as a saint by the Orthodox, Roman Catholic and ancient Eastern churches and is considered one of the significant Christian leaders by most branches of Protestantism.
The saint is celebrated on January 18, the Winter St. Athanasius – "Athanasius' Day", this is the date of his last return as Orthodox bishop of Alexandria, after he was expelled five times by the Arians from his episcopal post, and also on May 2 – the day of his death.
Born in Alexandria between 293 and 298 in a Christian family. His mother tongue was Greek, although he later preached and wrote in Coptic. There is evidence that he had a strong faith since childhood. He studied secular sciences "for a short time", but from his sermons it is clear that he knew the philosophy of Plato, the Stoics, the Epicureans and the Neoplatonists well. He also knew well the writings and teachings of the Church Fathers of previous eras: St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Clement of Alexandria, Origen. He studied law.
First he was secretary, and later deacon (329) of the Alexandrian bishop Alexander. Due to his personal qualities, he became one of the close associates of Bishop Alexander and his personal advisor on issues related to the fight against Arianism.
He participated in the first ecumenical council as a deacon of Bishop Alexander. He managed to win the admiration of the other participants in the anti-Arian party. The historian Socrates calls him "the strongest fighter against the Arians".
He established ties with the Egyptian hermit monks, who influenced him and developed a desire for an ascetic life.
Athanasius was one of the participants in the creation of what became the classical doctrine of the incarnation and the Holy Trinity. According to him, Christ and the Holy Spirit share the same essence (homooysios) with God the Father.
In "On the Incarnation of the Word Against the Arians", chap. 9, says the following:
David sings in Psalm [35:10]
"For with you is the fountain of life: in your light we see light," saying by this that 'for [He] is with you the fountain of Life, for together with the Father the Son is truly the fountain of the Holy Spirit.'"
Furthermore, actively opposing Arianism, according to which Christ is part of the rest of God's creations, Athanasius develops the idea that the Son of God took on a mortal form in order to restore people to immortality, taken away as a result of the Fall. In 325, the Council of Nicaea accepted his ideas about God over those of Arius.
Saint Athanasius took an active part in 343-344 in the Council of Serdica, which took place in present-day Sofia in the old basilica "Hagia Sophia" and, probably, in the rotunda "St. George the Victorious" and in the monastery, the remains of which were discovered above the current South Park in the lower part of Kozyak Street in the Lozenets district of the capital. There he passionately defended church doctrine from the theses of Arianism. According to legend, he planted the Granite Oak and founded the monastery named after him in the Chirpan village of Zlatna Livada. Then he returned to Alexandria, Egypt.
You can learn more about the Granite Oak, Saint Athanasius, the Serdica Church Council and the defense of the Truth HERE.
Abbot Saint Athanasius the Great
From the hill on which the church of "St. Athanasius the Great" in Kalofer stands today, a large-scale and deeply impressive panorama opens up in the direction of the Stara Planina Mountain Range, Botev Peak (when it is not enveloped by heavy clouds) and the Raisko Praskalo waterfall, flowing south from the peak.
How to get to the town of Kalofer?
Kalofer is a town in Karlovo Municipality, Plovdiv District.
It is located in South Central Bulgaria near the Sub-Balkan Road*.
*The Republican Road I-6, also known as the Sub-Balkan Road, is a first-class road of the Republican Road Network of Bulgaria with a west-east direction, passing through the territory of nine districts: Kyustendil, Pernik, Sofia Region, Sofia, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Sliven, Yambol and Burgas.
Its total length is 508.5 km, making it the longest republican road in Bulgaria.
Kalofer is located at the foot of the southern slopes of the Stara Planina Mountain.
Kalofer is located:
156 kilometers (about 2 hours and 16 minutes by car) from the capital
66 kilometers (about 1 hour by car) from the city of Plovdiv
330 kilometers (about 4 hours and 17 minutes by car) from the city of Varna
230 kilometers (about 2 hours and 30 minutes by car) from the city of Burgas
17 kilometers (about 17 minutes by car) from the city of Karlovo
How to get to the church of St. Athanasius the Great?
The Church of St. Athanasius the Great is located near the city center.
What to visit in Kalofer?
Entering the city, you should not miss visiting the monument of Kalifer Voivode, the founder of Kalofer.
Nearby is the starting point for the "White River" eco-trail.
In the center of the city there is a Bulgarian Renaissance temple "Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary", which I recommend you to visit.
The temple is located to the right of the Hristo Botev Memorial Complex, at the foot of a hill on which the majestic monument rises. Take the stairs to the monument and enjoy the exceptional panorama opening from the place.
Located on the left bank of the Tundzha River, on the spacious and sunny central city square, at the base of the Hristo Botev Memorial Complex and next to the "200 Rifles" composition, rises the graceful white stature of the Daskal Botev School, today transformed into the Museum of Educational Work in Kalofer.
Opposite the museum is the Kalofer Lace Creative Center, which I advise you to check out.
Let your sunny walk in this unique Bulgarian city take you to the Hristo Botev National Museum.
And finally, my dear friends,
you shouldn't miss checking out
the special photo album with moments –
discovered, experienced, filmed and shared with you!
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