Devic Monastery "Pokrov"

Devic Monastery "Pokrov" is built more than 200 years and impresses with its architecture. It is considered that adopted it was founded by the Russian monk Fota grandmother, who arrived in Samokov in 1772 she was the first abbess of the monastery. Gradually the monastery had grown, as it migrated rich samokovliyki left widows. They constructed cells and taken with them their daughters and granddaughters or daughters of their poorer relatives. So in the 19th century, the monastery became famous with the development of weaving and spinning. At the monastery functioned and school for girls.

Since its foundation the Nunnery became center of education and spiritual rituals. Icons for the church were painted by Dimitar Zograf and in the nartex can be seen fresco with Virgin Mary that according to the specialists is painted by Zahari Zograf. In the mid XIX there lived about 100 nuns.

After the Liberty the Samokov monastery continues to make clothes to provide and nuns took part in different international fairs in Li?ge (1905), London (1907) and in the first Plovdiv fair in 1892. The diplomas from this fairs can still be seen today in the monastery kitchen.

According to the legend the town was guarded by Virgin Marry that covered with her veil the city and thus saved it from destruction. That is why Virgin Mary is its patron and its holiday is on the 1-st of October.