Church “St. Dimitar”, Teshovo

The church “St. Dimitar” in the village of Teshovo is unique for many reasons. It is worth to travel the 25-kilometer distance from Gotse Delchev to the temple to enjoy the incredible panorama. Once you cross the threshold of the church you’ll find that you are not just entering into another beautiful rural temple of Bulgaria.

This is the only church that has painted on its wall the scene of suppression of the rebellions by Tsar Boris I. On the opposite of the alter wall you will see the scene of blinding the ruler Vladimir Rasate because he decided to return to pagan beliefs and renounce the Christian faith adopted by his father. And how then was crowned his brother and the son of King Boris I – Simeon, who will remain in the Bulgarian history with the nickname Great for the fact that during his reign Bulgaria expands its borders on three seas and marks an incredible cultural bloom.

“Saint Dimitar” was built in 1844. The carved iconostasis can be assigned to works of Debar Art School. The icons of the iconostasis are some of the best works of the era. Most of them are made from the painter Dimitar Molerov from Bansko and can be compared only with the icons in the Rila Monastery. The women’s department, where they prayed and attended the service ladies of the village, is on the second floor of the church. The women were behind wooden bars to avoid the lustful looks of the men. From the women’s section, you can climb to the belfry in order to experience once again the incredible view.

Another attraction of the church in Teshovo is the clock on the belfly. It shows the exact time already 75 years. And its mechanism is so complex that if it breaks would hardly be repaired again. The church is next to an old community center where you can learn the history of the village from a very kind old woman. If you stay there for the night it will cost you 16 lev /approximately 8 euro/ in the summer and a little bit more in the winter because of the heating.