Kuklenski Monastery "St. Cosmas and Damian"

Stefan Ivanov
Sep 24, 2022
3 min read

Updated: Jul 23

They say that the holy brothers Cosmas and Damian lived in the 3rd century in the vicinity of the city of Rome. The brothers were raised in the faith of Christ and piety, and they were also attracted to the art of medicine. After they had studied, because of their love for God and their neighbor, the Creator of the world bestowed upon them the miraculous power to heal all kinds of diseases and suffering among people. Out of great gratitude to God, the holy brothers healed without taking money from the sick, which is why they were called the Moneyless.

Because of the Christian faith they professed, they were threatened with death. When soldiers were sent to capture them, at the request of the people they had healed, the healers hid in a cave.

Thus, innocent people were captured instead of them.

When the two brothers found out about this, they could not bear the thought that someone else could suffer because of them, so they went and surrendered themselves voluntarily.

The emperor was willing to release them if they would offer sacrifice to the pagan gods. But as soon as he had said these words, he fell to the ground.

Thus the emperor was overtaken by God's punishment for his bold words. He made an effort to get up, but failed. Then he realized that the Christian God was the true God, believed and asked the holy brothers to heal him, and out of gratitude to them he released them.

After that, the brothers continued to heal and help people.

Meanwhile, another doctor envied their fame, once took them into the forest and there cruelly killed them. This happened in 284.

Thus the holy brothers ended their earthly life and glorified the name of God with their faith and miraculous power.

Kuklenski Monastery "St. Cosmas and Damian" is a female, active monastery located about 20 kilometers south of the city of Plovdiv (no more than 30 minutes by car) amidst the enchantingly beautiful northern slopes of the Rhodope Mountains.

The monastery is also known by its popular name "St. Vrachove".

According to a founding inscription on the spring, located in the immediate vicinity (about 160 meters south of the doors of the holy monastery), the monastery also bore the name "St. Bezsrebarnitsi".

There is no consensus on the exact date of the monastery's founding near Kuklen. It was mentioned as early as the 11th century in a document on the estates of Bachkovo Monastery. In the 17th century, the monastery was destroyed and at the beginning of the 18th century it was rebuilt by patriotic Bulgarians from Plovdiv. For a short period, the monastery became an educational and cultural center. During the Bulgarian Renaissance, the monastery also housed a monastery school.

During the period of slavery, the monastery's role as a place for treating the sick grew. Even the Turkish authorities themselves guarded the monastery, sending soldiers to guard it, as the families of the Turkish rulers also came there for treatment.

In its ancient form from the 15th-16th centuries, the monastery existed until the beginning of the 20th century, when a fire destroyed part of the northern and the entire southern wing. Today, only the western and part of the northern wing have been preserved.

The entire monastery complex is located on three levels, surrounded by a common monastery fence.

There are two churches on the territory of the monastery - a small one and a large one. The Church of St. Cosmas and Damian is considered one of the oldest in Bulgaria.

In addition to the churches, the monastery also houses residential buildings, where the monastic cells are located, a guesthouse consisting of rooms for pilgrims to stay, and outbuildings. Outside the monastery complex is the holy spring.