The Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo are a medieval monastic complex in the gorge of the Rusenski Lom river in northern Bulgaria, near the city of Ruse. Monks carved chapels, cells and a church out of the soft limestone cliffs high above the river, in a landscape that was home to hermits. The churches contain remarkable frescoes painted in the time of the Second Bulgarian Empire, which are among the finest examples of the Tarnovo school of painting, with a lively and expressive style that was ahead of its time in the Balkans. The site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 and is one of Bulgaria's best-known cultural monuments.
Before and after
- from August 1247 to November 1248Siege of Seville
- from 1248 to 1254Seventh Crusade
- from 1250 to 1517Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt
- 13th centuryConstruction of Château de Blois
- c. 1250Carving of the Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo
- from c. 1250s to 1500sThe moai statues of Easter Island are carved
- from 8 February 1250 to 11 February 1250Battle of Mansurah
- 1252Construction of Kōtoku-in Temple
- from 1253 to 1276Mongol campaign against the Nizaris
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- 1066Construction of Tower of London
- 1342Construction of Palace of Westminster
- from 1368 to 1644Ming dynasty
- from 1370 to 1789Construction of Bastille
- 1386Construction of Heidelberg University
- from 1438 to 1533Inca Empire
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 13th century.