Angel Tower in Arapovo Monastery "Holy Martyr Nedelya"

Stefan Ivanov
Sep 25, 2022
3 min read

Among all Bulgarian monasteries, always hidden in the most beautiful and secret mountain folds, the Arapovo Monastery "Holy Martyr Nedelya" makes an exception and stands out with its unusual location.

In the courtyard of the monastery, which covers an area of ten acres, stands a fortified three-story tower - a pyrgo.

Angel Tower in Arapovo Monastery "Holy Martyr Nedelya"

The solid building, which inspires respect with its strict silhouette, was intended to provide refuge for the monastery's monks and continued resistance during the uncertain times of Turkish slavery.

Currently, the tower has been converted into a museum and anyone wishing to visit it and view the interesting exhibition is more than welcome!

The first two floors, with their solid stone masonry, pierced by loopholes, are exclusively adapted for this purpose.

The third floor is residential and its architecture is typical of the 19th century - four corner bay windows, each with six windows, expand the tower in its upper part and bring its view closer to the silhouette of the Renaissance houses.

The four rooms on this upper floor are furnished with all the amenities possible for the era.

Today, the cupboards and minders built into the walls have been preserved.

One of the rooms with a fireplace was a kitchen-dining room.

On the northern outer wall there is a fresco depicting the victory of the biblical hero Samson over the Nubian lion. The author of the composition wanted to instill confidence in the champions of victory over the people's oppressors through the allegory of ancient biblical truth.

The defensive structure is known as the Angel's Tower, as the funds for its construction were donated by the people's defender Angel Voivode, who operated with his band of outlaws in the Rhodope region until 1860.

Angel Voivode

The full name of this legendary outlaw of ours is Angel Stoyanov Kariotov.

His father, Stoyan Kariotov, fled his native village of Chadarluköy and settled in Kozluk, today's Dragoinovo. He rented the Hodzhovata mill and was a miller for twenty years. He settled here.

On September 8 (21, new style), 1812, the future Angel Voivode was born into his family.

Angel grew up in a poor and large family. For many years he was a hired shepherd. In 1830, the Turks killed his father and kidnapped his fiancée. And Angel set out on the haidush paths.

In 1865, the famous voivode died in an unequal battle on a peak in Rila, which today bears his name.

With his deeds, he contributed greatly to the national self-awareness of the Bulgarians, to the freedom that was already close. Angel Voivode lives in the hearts of his descendants not only with his dozens of heroic deeds, but also with his numerous charitable gestures in support of patriotic initiatives to raise Bulgarian self-awareness - he provided significant financial support for the construction of a number of churches and schools in the Parvomay region - until recently, the temple in Dragoinovo had a magnificent chandelier donated by Angel.