The church to St. Antony the Great in the smallest Bulgarian town Melnik is the only one in Bulgaria bearing the name of the saint-healer, whom the Bulgarian Orthodox Church honours on January 17.

"The one-nave basilica was built in 1846. It was partially burned down, but it was never completely destroyed," Father Nikolay from Melnik told Radio Bulgaria. The interior of the church - the iconostasis, the furniture and the painted ceiling, were created according to the characteristics of the Melnik School of Iconography and assign this spiritual home a place among the cultural monuments of national importance.

On the night of January 16th the church is usually filled with believers who pray all night for salvation and healing. According to Father Nikolay, "angels and cherubim on the walls give lost souls the strength and security they need."

Why does the church in the Melnik cultural and historical reserve have a miraculous power?

You can find out more from the publication Saint Antony Church in Melnik and its miracles from the collection of Radio Bulgaria.

Compiled by Elena Karkalanova