Church "St. Velikomachenik George"

"St. George the Great Martyr" is an Orthodox church in the village of Lyubenova Mahala, Nova Zagora Municipality, Bulgaria.

The main livelihood of the people in the village of Lyubenova Mahala before the construction of the church is cattle breeding and agriculture. Due to its great distance from the then shopping centers Kazanlak, Stara Zagora, Sliven and Edirne, as well as due to difficult communications, it could not export its works to the market, but therefore in the village come traders and agents for buyers of cattle and sheep, of skins, wool, butter, cheese, etc. and thus lively trade relations are maintained with the population itself. The village became a small commercial hub on the road Stara Zagora - Kavakli - Edirne and vice versa and this contributes too much to both its economic well-being and its spiritual awakening. The question of the religiosity of the population, which is highly developed, and the need to build a house of prayer is gradually being raised. Frequent meetings and conversations with these merchants gave rise to the idea of building the Church of St. George the Great Martyr.

For this purpose, a kind of committee was formed to find the necessary funds, place and way to build it. The idea ignites the whole population. In just a few months, free aid was collected in food, livestock, materials and money. The place for the temple was donated by the resident Minko Stanchev, who most insisted on its more recent construction.

The question arises whether the Turkish government will allow the construction of the designed temple. Under the influence of the Greek Patriarchate and in strict compliance with its general construction policy, the Turkish government allowed the construction of temples under limited conditions. A special delegation was formed to obtain the necessary authorization. It consisted of prominent figures and influential people of the village. They went to Constantinople, where, with the assistance of Archbishop Hilarion, they first came into contact with the association of Bulgarian guilds. This association prepared and supplied for the needs of the Turkish army the necessary materials such as clothes, shoes, saddles, harnesses, palms, towbars, bridles, scales, yulars and others. It enjoyed great influence before the sultan and his government. The delegation took advantage of this circumstance. Together with some of the leaders of the association, they were received in an audience by the sultan and managed to win his favor. He gave his consent for the construction of the temple. The necessary official permission for the case was soon obtained. The construction of the temple was allowed under the following conditions: to be dug 3 meters into the ground, not to rise high above it, not to have domes and to be called a "priest's house".

Despite the restrictions, construction began in 1832. the gift place. The population takes a live part: men, women and children throw away the excavated soil with bags, with aprons and whoever can. Everyone is working with enthusiasm, excited by a lofty idea - to see as soon as possible the construction of their Orthodox church. Some of the richer peasants, such as Minko Stanchev, Yorgo Karchanov, Tanyu Penchev (grandfather of the late Tanyu Penchev) and others, donated bags full of coins for the construction.

After 5 years of efforts, the building, led by the master architect Dimitar Sergi from Tryavna, was completed in 1837.

The memorial plaque, preserved at the western entrance of the church, reads the following inscription:

merchants, Papa Dimitati, Marku, Slaf, Tanyu, Petku, Kolyu and with the help of all the Christians in Gunelli Mahlesi. Architect Dimitar Sergi from Tryabna, 1837. ”

On July 14, 1877, after false information about the existence of committees and a village and that the village was preparing for a revolt, a Turkish regular army was sent (along with the bashibozuka - about 2000 people) . The village was surrounded and attacked. The frightened people are imprisoned in the church of St. George the Great Martyr. After several assaults, the Circassians entered the churchyard and subjected everything to logging and looting. The commission sent by Constantinople to establish the consequences found that 1,013 people were killed in the churchyard and in the church itself.

It is not known when and how the consecration of the church took place. Legend has it that the relics of St. Charalampius were placed during his consecration. The first named in it was Georgi Prodanov. The first priest in it was priest Dimitar from the same village.