Aladzha monastery

The name of Aladzha monastery has Turkish source and comes from word for colourful ("aladzha"), maybe due to the bright colours of its wall paintings, dating back to the early Middle Ages. This is one of not so available monastery in Bulgaria and is situated 12 km from Kranevo and 3 km from Golden sands. The monk's cells, common rooms and sanctuaries, dug directly into the limestone rock and situated on two levels high above the ground, were connected via an external staircase. On the lower floor hosted the monks private cells, there is also and a small church, while the upper level was dedicated entirely to a chapel. By opinion of some historians, primitive monks' cells were built and inhabited already in the 4th century AC. The entire monastery is considered to date back to the 12th century AC. The monastery is declared a cultural sight and houses a small museum. Less than a kilometer away from the Aladzha Monastery, one can find a similar monastery complex, called Katakombite (The Catacombs). Katakombite has an origin and history similar to those of the Aladzha Monastery, though its remains are far less preserved.
There is a lot of legend and myths about treasures, and angel-guardian of this place called “Rim-papa”.