Sofia, November 1 (BTA) - An exhibition titled "The Heart of Bulgaria. Masterpieces from Rila monastery" was unveiled officially the National Awakeners' Day marked on Monday at the Open-air Gallery in Sofia's Kristal Garden. The exhibition has been prepared by the Institute of Balkan Studies with Centre for Thracian Studies at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), BAS said.

The masterpieces have been chosen from the collection of the oldest institution in the Bulgarian state which has been safeguarding the Bulgarian spirit for centuries. The monastery, whose significance goes far beyond the Balkans, has been a cultural centre and Orthodox treasury for more than a thousand years. Rila monastery is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and is one of the symbols of Bulgaria.

The exhibition was prepared as part of the National Academic Programme for Cultural and Historical Heritage, National Remembrance and Social Development financed by the Ministry of Education and Science. The event is organized with the cooperation of Rila monastery, the National Commission for UNESCO - Bulgaria at the Foreign Ministry and the Culture Directorate of Sofia City Hall./DD/BR