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The '''Rila Monastery''' was founded in the 10th century by [[St John]] of Rila, a hermit canonized by the [[Orthodox Church]]. His ascetic dwelling and tomb became a holy site and were transformed into a monastic complex which played an important role in the spiritual and social life of medieval [[Bulgaria]]. Destroyed by fire at the beginning of the 19th century, the complex was rebuilt between 1834 and 1862. A characteristic example of the Bulgarian Renaissance (18th–19th centuries), the monument symbolizes the awareness of a Slavic cultural identity following centuries of occupation.

The '''Rila Monastery''' was founded in the 10th century by [[St John]] of Rila, a hermit canonized by the [[Orthodox Church]]. His [[Ascesis|ascetic]] dwelling and tomb became a holy site and were transformed into a monastic complex which played an important role in the spiritual and social life of medieval [[Bulgaria]]. Destroyed by fire at the beginning of the 19th century, the complex was rebuilt between 1834 and 1862. A characteristic example of the Bulgarian Renaissance (18th–19th centuries), the monument symbolizes the awareness of a Slavic cultural identity following centuries of occupation.

<ref>http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/216</ref>

<ref>http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/216</ref>