Trip to Eye of Osmar

These are the Osmar rock monasteries. They are located in the Shumen Plateau, carved into its limestone rocks.
My interest in Hesychast monasteries (monks who believe that the path to the union of man and God is through contemplation) came after I saw a photo of the "Eye of Osmar" rock formation a few years ago. It is also known by the name "The Ring". About it, Vanga herself once said that it is the fourth most powerful energy center of Bulgaria after Rupite, Tsarichina and Madara. The place captivated me even before I set foot on it.

I enter the rock monastery and in the first room I see an altar carved into the rock. On it are hung icons that hang silently. The place captivates with its modesty. What does a person need? One soul and a little faith...

In the days around Easter, I headed to a holy place that is not associated with flamboyant religiosity, but with quiet humility. These are the Osmar rock monasteries. They are located in the Shumen Plateau, carved into its limestone rocks.

My interest in Hesychast monasteries (monks who believe that the path to the union of man and God is through contemplation) came after I saw a photo of the "Eye of Osmar" rock formation a few years ago. It is also known by the name "The Ring". About it, Vanga herself once said that it is the fourth most powerful energy center of Bulgaria after Rupite, Tsarichina and Madara. The place captivated me even before I set foot on it.
So, on a february morning, I am already traveling to the village of Osmar. It also boasts interesting stories. The village produces the aromatic wine Osmarski pelin, and the secret of its strong fragrance lies in the 30 herbs and fruits that are added to the drink. Osmar is also the place where the first champagne in Bulgaria was produced. Wine production in the area began as early as the 19th century, and today there is a wine cellar in the village - "Osmar", where you can taste white or red wormwood.
But now we will go back in time... I follow the signs for the rock monastery placed around the village. I go to the Kostadino Monastery, created during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom (XII - XIV century). It is the largest and best preserved of the Osmar rock monasteries.

They were inhabited by monks following the Hesyachian teachings . They lived as hermits, away from the temptations of worldly life. They believed that among the rocks they would be able to get closer to God by purifying their mind and heart.
To reach the Kostadino rock monastery, you can leave your car at the end of Osmar village and continue on foot. A pleasant walk through a grove awaits you for about 3 km . When you reach a fountain with a stone cross and a wooden gazebo, you are already at the foot of the monastery.

Light from the outside enters through niches in the rock. The heat and sounds remain somewhere far away. Their fingers can't reach me here. I peer through one of the openings, and outside, like a colorful carpet, the newly leafed forest is laid out. It smells of freshness, and the endless green sea of ​​the forest is reflected in my pupils. The sky is so blue it hurts to look at it too long.
I leave the cell, go down the metal stairs and continue to the "Eye of Osmar", which rises above the monastery. I follow the yellow signs. The path is steep and the soil loose. I'm careful not to slip. I pass overgrown grasses and sprawling bushes… and then I come face to face with the bizarre rock. It looks like a giant's eye. I stare at it, and it seems to reveal another world to me - there life is whole, full-blooded, real, and not worn out by loud words and digital mirages.