Merdanski monastery Forty Holy Martyrs

The Merdanski monastery ,,Forty Holy Martyrs”is situated in the eastern end of the village Merdanya which is around Veliko Tarnovo and immediately next to the asphalt which connect Veliko Tarnovo and Elena.
At around 1,5 km from the actual monastery in the countryside ,,The Ears”are found some remains of a medieval monastery about which people supposing that they are from the time of Ivan Asen II. When Bulgaria is conquest from the Ottoman empire this monastery is destroyed and its properties are passed in the hands of Turkish beys. In the middle of XIX century the rich man Hadji Kesariy Horozov buy up the ex-properties of the monastery. In 1853 build the church and the residential buildings with his own resources and become Father Superior of the new-found monastery.
The church has a wide antechamber and high cupola. At first the church isn’t decorated. After its restoration in 1982-1984 it’s painted with wall-paintings. Some icons from XIX century preserved, and painted from representatives of Tryavna like Zograf Tsenyo Simeonov. During the battles of liberation in Bulgaria the Father Superior Kesariy Horozov takes part of ,,Velchova zavera” and later become a adherent of Vasil Levski. Archimandrite Hadji Kesarov graduates in ecclesiastical in Bucharest which doesn’t stand him to be clever builder-the fountain which he build in the yard of the monastery and the high walls which surround it are actual today. The Father Superior found an evening monastery school which is visited by inhabitants of Merdanya and inhabitants from the neighbouring villages.
After the death of Hadji Kesariy in 1893 the most if the monks left the monastery which bit by bit start falling. Later it was repaired and transformed in monastery for girls which is today.