Troyan Monastery of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is an impressive Orthodox monastery, the third largest in Bulgaria. It is located in a picturesque place on the slope of the Stara Planina (Balkan) mountains, 10 kilometres from the town of Troyan and near the village of Oreshak. The Cherni-Osym River flows near the monastery.
Thanks to the preserved references in written sources it was possible to establish that the monastery was built in the XVII century. Its founder is considered to be hegumen Kallistrat.
In 1835 there was a solemn ceremony of consecration of a new church, erected in place of the former one. The structure, built by the master Constantine from Peshter, is a cross-dome type church with a narthex, an arched gallery and a pentagonal apse in the altar part. In 1847-1849 the building was decorated with paintings. The work was carried out by an outstanding representative of the Samokov school, the famous Bulgarian painter Zachary Zograf. The frescoes depict scenes from the Holy Scriptures ("The Last Judgement" and others), saints, Jesus Christ and others. In the monastery church survived skilfully carved wooden iconostasis of the late 30-ies of the XIX century, and in the chapel of St Nicholas - earlier carved royal gates.
The bell tower was built in 1866 under the supervision of master Ivan from the village of Mlechevo.
The Troyan monastery was an educational centre in the late 19th century. Now it houses a library, where one can get acquainted with a rich collection of various printed publications. During the Bulgarian struggle for liberation, the monastery was a place of refuge for many revolutionaries.
