Icons Permanent Exhibition

Тhe icon exhibition was opened in 1975, in a building specially designed by the architect Nikola Moushanov. It is located in the Old Town, next to the Revival Period church of St Constantine and St Helena. The exhibition includes a large number of valuable icons, the oldest ones painted five centuries ago. The oldest exhibites include eight Fiest tier icons from present-day Nessebar, the icon St George Enthroned from Plovdiv , as well as the Royal register icons of the former Plovdiv church of St Constantine and St Helena )dating from the 16th century). Here you can see impressive works by three generations of Samokov icon painters from the renowe Dospevski family: Hristo Dimitrov, Dimitar Hristov, Zakhariy Zograph and Stanislav Dospevski. In the 18th and 19th centuries, they were among the most popular master painters on the Balkans. On the right side of the exhibition hall are valuable icons by master painters from Plovdiv and the region, such as: the icon painter Yoan from Voden, the teacher Valko from Dermendere, the greatest master painter Nikola of Odrin and Spiro Mihailov.

The exhibition also includes icons by Tryavna master painters and icon painters from different regions. Some of the icons show what pilgrims, merchants and monks brought from their travels to Jerusalem and the monasteries of Mount Athos: copies of miracle-working icons of Mount Athos, Jerusalemia, mother-of-pearl icons from Jerusalem, etc. Also, home icons depicting the most revered in Bulgarian homes healing saints and patron saints of young children can be seen.