At the foot of Sakar Mountain under its highest peak Vishegrad (856 m), surrounded by rocks of white, green and pink marble a little river collects its waters and finds its way to the high-water Tundja near the village of Ustrem. The village is situated about 13 km south-east of Topolovgrad. To the west of the village, by the limpid mountain river lies the Holy Trinity Monastery, also known as the Vakaf (after the old name of Ustrem village), the Ustrem or the Haiduk Monastery.

The monastery is wrapped in myths and legends. It is said that during the Turkish yoke the road to Edirne passed near the Tundja river. That was the route of the Turkish treasury and post. The mountain gave shelter to many voivodes and haiduks at that time. The haiduks made robberies in the locality called Darkaya, about 200 m from the monastery. They used to hide the gold in a cave, high up in the rocks. The haiduks of Hristo voivode, Kara Kolyo, Indje and Valchan voivode infested the area. This is why the cave in the rocks above the monastery is called Karakolyova Dupka (Kara Kolyo is Cave).

Here, in the thick forests of Sakar Mountain, a monastery was built as early as the 15th century but was later deserted...

When Hristo voivode from Sliven advanced in age, he took the cassock and became a monk. God only knows what sins made him take this step. With the help of Kara Kolyo, Indje and Valchan voivode he built a new monastery at the site of the old sanctuary. Everybody helped him – the people and the haiduks. Hristo viovode became father Hrisant and was Father Superior of he monastery till his death. He died in 1813. The three voivodes used to come frequently to his grave. Even now the tombstone of father Hrisant is preserved in the monastery church. Under the altar there was a hiding place where father Hrisant’s friend Kara Kolyo used to hide.

During the Russian-Turkish War of 1828–1829 the monastery was demolished, but in 1836 it was restored. On the foundations of the destroyed church the temple Holy Apostles Peter and Paul was built and it is still standing in the centre of the monastery yard. To the haiduks, to their faith and arms, we owe the preservation of the monastery from the many attacks for plunder and demolition.

As architecture, the Vakaf Monastery is built in the typical for the period style and represents a modest complex of residences with large verandahs encircling the yard.

Vakaf Monastery is among the biggest monasteries in Bulgaria both in terms of size and merits. In the church there are interesting icons, painted by an unknown artist, and woodcarvings on the iconostasis of the altar. Cold and limpid water flows from the three-spout white fountain. Its song recalls the times of Hristo voivode and Indje, who had a cell on the upper story of one of the buildings in the yard, recalls the times of the dreaded Kara Kolyo and many known and unknown voivodes.

Near the monastery, in the area called Gradishteto, there are remains of an old Roman fortress.

Vesselin Valchev