The Glozhene Monastery is an architectural monument of national importance. Dates from the XVI century, according to legend from the XIII century. Its architectural plan copies that of the monasteries of Mount Athos. The monks’ cells were built in 1858. The most prominent person in the Glozhene Monastery in the XIX century was the abbot Evtimiy (Simeonov) from Sopot. He is a famous healer. The monastery is a favorite place of Vasil Levski, and visitors can see his hiding place these days. Here is a small museum of Vasil Drumev (with the monastic name Kliment), who from 1875 until his death was Metropolitan of the Tarnovo Diocese. On July 10, 1893, Metropolitan Clement was sentenced to “eternal” exile in the Glozhene Monastery. His exile ended only with the fall of the government of Stefan Stambolov. The old church in the monastery dates from the XVI century. Its frescoes feature donors from Teteven, whose names are written in the monuments of the Zograf Monastery from the 30s and 40s of the 17th century. In the monastery is exhibited a copy of an ancient Little Russian icon of St. George from the XVIII century. Unlike the other monasteries, the Glozhene Monastery is not hidden in the bosom of the mountain ranges but perched on a high stone terrace, separated from the environment by steep slopes and vertical cliffs. If you believe the local legend, the old name of Glozhene was Chiren Pazar. The village was about one kilometer from today’s village – on the left bank of the Vit River. Glozhene, according to legend, was founded by the Kyiv prince Glozh, who received this place from Tsar Ivan Asen II. The prince built a small fortress and a monastery dedicated to St. Transfiguration at this place. In 1904 and 1913 the original monastery church was significantly damaged because of the two strong earthquakes. Only the tunnel stays from the original construction of the monastery – the so-called “Mediocre” carved into the rock. It is the only way to the terrace. Since then, there have been the remains of a small square building with irregular outlines, defined as a tower. Before its destruction by the earthquakes of 1904 and 1913, the preserved remains of that time allowed us to see that nothing in it betrays the peculiarities of a tall tower. The monastic dwellings, located in a massive double-decker building, with deep cellars on the descending slopes, were built in 1858. The current church dates from 1931. There was an interesting wood-carved iconostasis in the old church, which was subsequently transferred to the new one. The monastery brotherhood developed a great educational activity at the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century. The monastery’s brotherhood created a convent and a monastery school in the nearby village of Malak Izvor. Of great importance are the second monastery school and the convent, which the Glozhene Monastery founded in Lovech. The written monuments originating from the monastery include a Kyiv -Pechora Gospel from 1716 and several monthly books, prologues, lives of saints, kondikes, and others, including two bronze seals with the definition of the monastery as Kyiv. The monastery is also famous for its temple icon – “St. George the Victorious” which, according to the legend, was brought by Prince Glozh from the Kyiv -Pechora Lavra.
The temple holiday is on the day of the saint – May 6. The monastery can be reached by car – through the village of Malak Izvor or on foot, along the marked eco-trail “Village of Glozhene – Glozhene Monastery – Morovitsa Cave” which is part of the tourist route “In the footsteps of Levski