The Monastery of Patleina area
Explore the Archaeological Wonders South of Veliki Preslav! Just 2.5 km south of the ancient fortress walls of Veliki Preslav lies a treasure trove of history. The archaeological exploration of this site began in 1909, led by Yordan Gospodinov, a dedicated local teacher and archaeologist. Visitors can marvel at the remains of a church, standing up to 2.50 meters tall, along with the nearby residential and monastery buildings. The area also features workshops where ceramic decorations were crafted and facilities for washing, sedimentation, and purification of the renowned white Preslav clay. Additionally, under the northern wall of the church, a masonry tomb with six burial chambers has been preserved, offering a glimpse into the ancient burial practices.
Explore the fascinating white-clay pottery from the Patleina area, renowned for its intricate plant motifs, saintly images, and inscriptions in Greek, Cyrillic, and Glagolitic. This exquisite pottery is a testament to the intellectual and artistic achievements of the medieval Preslav center. The monastery cloister, where these masterpieces were created, was a hub of scholarly activity in the 9th and 10th centuries. The monks’ unparalleled craftsmanship during this period remains unmatched. Legend has it that Prince Boris I the Baptist chose this monastery for his monastic life. Additionally, the students of Cyril and Methodius are believed to have used this serene location for their educational endeavors and the creation of the Cyrillic script. Visit Patleina and immerse yourself in the rich cultural heritage that shaped the medieval world.
What can you visit here?
It was filmed about the Museum
Information from history
History of the monastery
During its peak in the 9th and 10th centuries, the monastery was a key center of the Preslav Literary School and a major hub for producing beautifully painted decorative ceramics. Visit this historic site to discover the rich cultural and artistic heritage that flourished here, making it one of the most important locations in medieval history.
Monastery “St. Panteleimon” Monastery in the locality of Patleina
The monastery was established in the 9th century during the reign of Boris I. It was destroyed in 971 by the Byzantines when they seized Preslav and was repeatedly plundered and devastated by the Pechenegs and the Cumans. According to researchers, the monastery was an important literary centre during the First Bulgarian Empire and of the most important sites of the Preslav Literary School, there the disciples of Cyril and Methodius, Clement of Ohrid and Naum of Preslav had worked. The Patleina Monastery was also an artistic-production centre.
The monastery was established after the Christianization of Bulgaria in the 9th century during the reign of Boris I (r. 852–889). It was destroyed in 971 by the Byzantines when they seized Preslav in the aftermath of the Sviatoslav’s invasion of Bulgaria and was repeatedly plundered and devastated by the Pechenegs and the Cumans in the 11th and 12th centuries during the Byzantine rule of Bulgaria. According to researchers, the monastery was an important literary centre during the First Bulgarian Empire and of the most important sites of the Preslav Literary School, there the disciples of the Saints Cyril and Methodius, Clement of Ohrid and Naum of Preslav had worked.
The Patleina Monastery was also an artistic-production centre. During the excavations of the site carried out between 1909 and 1914, a 10th-century mosaic ceramic icon of Saint Theodore Stratelates was discovered. It has since become one of the symbols of the medieval Bulgarian heritage and is now kept at the National Archaeological Museum. Other artefacts dates from the 9th and 10th centuries excavated at the site include ceramic icons of Saint Philip and Mark the Evangelist, crucifixes, a bronze matrix of an icon of blessing Christ sitting on a throne. The monastery was declared a monument of culture.
In the 1940s a new monastery was constructed on the slope over the medieval site. However, it was never consecrated as it was nationalised after 1944 by the new Socialist authorities and converted into a vacation home.
Where to get tourist information?
Contacts
Archaeological museum “Veliki Preslav”
P.O. Box 16, Veliki Preslav 9850 Bulgaria
tel. +359538 43243
e-mail: museum_preslav@abv.bg
web: en.museum-velikipreslav.com
Tourist information center Veliki Preslav
61A “Boris Spirov” str., Veliki Preslav, Bulgaria
tel. +359 5384 2309
e-mail: tic_v.preslav@abv.bg
web: velikipreslav.bg
Transport - how to get to the Monastery?
The Patleina locality is located 2.5 km south of the fotress walls of the old capital Veliki Preslav. You can reach us by bus, car or bicycle.
By CAR and BUS: There is a parking lot for cars, which is located about 350 m from the monastery.
Tips for accommodation
- Hotel-Restaurant "Omurtagov Most"Tel: +359 894 668 266; +359 538 42 112; omurtagovmost@mail.bg
- The Family Hotel "Preslav" Contacts: +359 897 066 371
- Tourist bedroom in the town of Veliki Preslav Tel: +359 896 715 256
- Guest House "Bolyarski stan"Tel: +359 888 851 695, +359 892 651 999 e-mail: georgiev63_vp@abv.bg; www.bolqrskistan.com
- "Kostadone" Guest House - Veliki Preslav, 17 "Zlaten vek" Str, Tel: 00359888244360