Monastery of Rila @ Mini-Europe
Blog
Written by BrusselsLife Team -
25 May 2008, 00:00
(Updated: 13 Dec 2012, 07:59)
Mini-Europe is continuing to expand! In the presence of the Bulgarian Minister of Culture Stefan Danailov and Minister-President of the Walloon Community Rudy Demotte, Mini-Europe proudly revealed the Rila Monastery from Bulgaria. After the Air France Airbus A380, the Millennium Tower of Magdeburg and the Thermal Baths of Szécheny, it is the fourth new miniature of 2008. This new monument is intended to give the visitors of Mini-Europe an even more comprehensive picture of Europe, and the countries and cultures that compose it.
Like all the other monuments at Mini-Europe, the monastery is built to a scale of 1/25th. The irregular lozenge shape of the monastery is 5.90 m long and 5.20 m wide.
First monastery, first Orthodox representation
The Rila Monastery is not only Mini-Europe's first monastery, but also, for the first time, it represents the Orthodox religion to which a sizeable proportion of Europeans belong. The Orthodox religion forms the foundation of the Cyrillic alphabet, whose birthday is celebrated by Bulgarians every year on 24 May. The Rila Monastery is a perfect illustration of the Bulgarian spirit, since it has always been the cradle of the Bulgarian Orthodox tradition, particularly during the Ottoman occupation. Furthermore, the monastery is resplendent with its brilliantly decorated inner courtyard and a church dating from the nine-teenth century.
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