The Troyan Monastery "Uspenie Bogorodichno"/The Assumption/ lies at a distance of 10 km east of Troyan in a beautiful site on the bank of the Cherni Osam River. The Troyan Monastery is a monument of culture, which attracts thousands of tourists with its architectural, natural, historic and artistic landmarks. It is not yet proved whether the monastery has existed in the Middle Ages or not. The history of the Troyan monastery during XVII-XIX c. is a succession of plunders and defeats caused by the oppressors. The monastery has survived thanks to the tenacity of patriotic and active monks and the support of the freedom-loving inhabitants of the adjacent villages. The monastery has been a local centre of spiritual education and literacy. Several manuscript books from XVIII and XIX c. are known to have been written and rewritten by local monks. Since the middle of XVIII c. a school has been opened in the monastery. The most significant cultural monument in the Troyan Monastery is the church "Uspenie Bogorodichno"/The Assumption/. It is situated in the southern yard among two and three-floor bay-window housing buildings. The church is an architectural and colour centre of the ensemble. It is a single-nave building. For the initial outlook of the church and the buildings around it we learn from a print from 1839 and from the description and the paintings of the Hungarian traveler Feliks Kanitz. In 1847 the monks from the monastery invite Zahari Zograf to paint the murals of the temple. His works cover all the internal walls of the temple with bright harmonious colours and numerous rarely-met scenes. The external walls of the tower have also been covered with decorative-monumental ornaments. Interesting ornamental compositions have been preserved until present-day on the second floor. They enhance the solemn colours of the Revival atmosphere in the monastery's yard. The wood carving of the Troyan monastery is exceptionally rich. The iconostases of the main church and the two chapels have the best carvings. The oldest carving is in the chapel "Saint Nikola". It has the stylistic elements of the early Tryavna carving. Most impressive is the carving of the gold coated iconostasis in the main church. In its columns, horizontal cornices, flowers, birds, leaves, grape clusters one can feel the flexibility and solemnity. Felix Kantz tells that the iconostasis is made in 1839-1840 by the wood-carver Nikola Mateev from Novo Selo. The solemn atmosphere of the temple is further enhanced by the icons of the iconostasis. According to some specialists they are made by Zahari Zograf, while others think they are made by his brother Dimiter. They have the typical characteristics of the Samokov art school. Apart from the paintings the museum has preserved a collection of applied art works.