Church The Assumption of Virgin Mary
The church was built in 1816 in place of the medieval church "St. Nicola". According to the design is a dug-in one-apsis pseudobasilica, which has three naves and wood backing. It is in the central part of Kyustendil, next to the square Velbuzhd.
In 1820 a monastery school was built in the churchyard. Some valuable icons are preserved, including one of the early XIX century by Toma Vishanov. The northern and western narthex, candle works and an ossuary were built in 1933.
The church is an impressive monument of Bulgarian Revival art. It has altar holy gates to the women's section (16th-17th centuries), preserved icons from the beginning of 19th century, an iconostasis and frescos painted by Ivan Dospevski. After the Liberation, in 1883 a church bell tower was built, replacing the monastery school. It is with a square plan and a height of 11 m.
The church has been declared an architectural and art monument of national significance. It is currently a working temple as well.
Do you know that:
- the International Competition for Classical Guitar “Academic Marin Goleminov" is organized annually in Kyustendil.
- Pautalia means “fountain”, “spring city” in translation.
- the redwoods near the village of Bogoslov are the oldest and the highest in Bulgaria.
