Манастир "Св. Йоан Предтеча"

On the southern bank of the Arda River, in the Veselechane quarter of Kardzhali, lies the medieval monastery of St. John the Baptist. It opened its doors in 2000, after several decades of excavation. In the 1930s, local archaeologists first stumbled upon the remains of the monastery, and later in 1962, during construction activities, more parts of the complex were uncovered. Official archaeological excavations began only in the 1980s.
The discoveries revealed that these were the structures of an extensive monastic complex, surrounded by fortress walls. At the heart of the complex are the walls of a church, adorned with exceptional frescoes, some of which reach sizes of up to 3.5 meters in certain sections. Archaeologists suggest that this was an episcopal monastery established in the 13th century.