- The pearl in the historical crown of Sofia’s Holy Mountain
- Urvich preserves the memory of the victories of Tsar Ivan Shishman
Archaeologists from the National History Museum and the Medieval Archeology Section of the National Archaeological Institute with a museum at the BAS have begun research in the citadel of the medieval Urvich fortress near Sofia (also known as Kokalyanski Urvich). The goal of the scientists is to examine the condition of the antiquities at the highest point of the fortification, where according to Paisii Hilendarski in “History of Slavonic Bulgaria” “Tsar Shishman stood for seven years in Sredets and along Iskar. He had a monastery of Urvich with a strong fortress, and it was surrounded by water…”
On the Sofia-Samokov road, about 20 km from the capital, stand the remains of the Kokalyanski Urvich fortress. The facility stood on the steep right bank of the Iskar River, in the Lozen Mountains. In this area, the river forms a picturesque curve around a high hill, where remains of the stone walls are still visible. The fortress with its temple “St. Ilia”, together with the Urvich and Kokalyan monasteries, form a monastery complex that is part of the Sofia Holy Mountain. The place is holy and was much visited by Christians during the Middle Ages.
Archaeological research on the site began in the late 1960s, with Prof. Dimitar Ovcharov as the first leader. His son and successor in the study of the Bulgarian past, Prof. Nikolay Ovcharov, also explored the fortress more than once, and published a book “Kokalianski Urvich Fortress and the Late Medieval Monastery in it” (written together with his colleague Filip Petrunov). On the territory of the fortress, archaeological remains of a battle tower, part of the fortress walls and the church “St. Ilia” and the monastery complex, which also existed during the Ottoman rule.
The first materials recorded during excavations can be attributed to the VI-I centuries BC, and the fortress is supposed to have been built during the time of Khan Krum, who annexed the then city of Sredets to Bulgaria. However, the place is mostly mentioned in the 13th-14th centuries within the framework of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom and on the occasion of the long-term battles against the Ottoman conquerors.
- Legends tell…
Many legends about the fortress and the monastery “St. Prophet Elijah.” In these legends, it is said that the treasury and library of Tsar Ivan Shishman were hidden in this impregnable region. Historical records show that in 1371 a heavy battle broke out near the fortress with the advancing Ottoman hordes. Many warriors fell in battle, as well as one of the heirs to the throne of Tsar Ivan Shishman.
In the last decade, a number of focused studies have been carried out on the ruins of the medieval monastery. The decision of the archaeologists is that after the complete survey of the remains, the monastery, the church and the surrounding buildings will be restored, and the site will once again become a center of attraction for excursionists and pilgrims.
There is already a conceptual project and everything will be completely credible. The monastery will be completely rebuilt, with the second floor, with the wooden terraces and porches, reveals archaeologist Filip Petrunov.
They are gradually moving towards a complete reconstruction, and for credibility they rely on the type of buildings of other, preserved monasteries from the same time.
Restoration is the only way to preserve the buildings of a monastery so important to the history of Bulgaria and Europe.
- One archaeologist and one legacy
There is a lot of historical information about this fortress, but the most valuable information comes from “History of Slavonic Bulgaria” by Paisii Hilendarski. The fortress is the only local toponym he uses among the many known ones such as Constantinople, Tarnovo, etc. Paisius designates this fortress and the monastery in it on the outskirts of Iskar and under Vitosha.
However, there is a lot of information about the place from folk songs and legends. It is about the struggle of Tsar Ivan Shishman or Yasen, as it is sung in folk songs, or Ivan Asen the Fifth. In 1371, he organized the first major resistance against the Ottoman advance, specifically against Sofia – then Sredets. The offensive was repulsed precisely in the vicinity of Urvich, but in this battle, Tsar Ivan Asen the Fifth, who was 18 years old at the time, died.
This fortress was really essential in the defense of Sofia. It managed to hold off the Ottoman advance for 10 years, but in 1382 it fell together with Sofia itself. However, the Ottoman conquerors subsequently allowed a monastery to be established in the remains of the fortress near the old church “St. Elijah”. This is the first monastery from the 15th-17th centuries that was studied by archaeologists.
Survival
In Western European maps of the 17th-18th centuries of travelers who passed through these places, the old fortress of Urvich with the monastery under the name “Oruito” or “Orvito” was mentioned many times. This also shows where Paisius possibly learned about her. He was born in 1722, i.e. somewhere around the events that caused the downfall of the monastery. When Paisius became a monk around his 18th birthday, he witnessed the smoking ruins of the Urvich monastery with all the legends of the battles of Tsar Ivan Shishman.
- History becomes tourism
The Urvich fortress is an area during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, which also testifies to the great war between the Ottoman army and the army of the Austrian Empire, in which the Austrian forces captured Belgrade and reached about 50 kilometers from Sofia – all the way to Dragoman. Then many uprisings break out – such as the Chiprov uprising and the Karposh uprising in Macedonia. After the retreat of the Austrians, these areas were devastated and burned. Many churches and monasteries were destroyed. The same fate followed the monastery of the Urvich fortress. Most likely he never respawns again. At the same time, the Kokalyan Monastery was built – at the beginning of the 18th century, which is on the opposite hill.
It is curious that Aleko Konstantinov founded the first tourist club in free Bulgaria and named it the “Urvich Club” during his trips to these places.
The Urvich fortress, together with all the monasteries in the area, are part of the Sofia Holy Mountain. Older Sofians remember that until 30 years ago it was a favorite outing place for Sofians. Now the goal is not only to uncover the antiquities, but also to restore the church of St. Elijah, so that it can once again become a place of worship. If it is restored, the monastery will become a first-class object of cultural and historical tourism.
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