The so-called ‘Eyes of God’ can be found in northern Bulgaria , specifically in a karst cave 2 kilometers away from Karlukovo Village in the municipality of Lukovit, Lovech province and 120 kilometers from Sofia. We are talking about the Prohodna cave.
There, in the municipality of Lukovit, and with the presence of a fantastic gorge called Iskar, we find two entrances that pierce a mountain of limestone rock: they are the Eyes of God.
It is the largest cave in Bulgaria
The cave, which is 262 meters long , has two entrances, a large and a small one, each located at one end. The path that starts from the smallest (35 meters high) crosses the cave and ends at the arch of the largest cave in Bulgaria (45 meters high) , just the largest entrance (the entrances are known popularly as Big Entrance and Small Entrance). As you cross it, you feel that you are entering a kind of imposing triumphal arch. But, what undoubtedly draws the attention of this famous cave are its two holes in the ceiling that resemble eyes and that provide -along with the entrances- great natural lighting to the area.
These natural cavities in the ceiling make this cave unique. They are located next to each other and are shaped similar to an almond , hence many have found a striking resemblance to giant eyes that seem to look at visitors. Even viewed from a specific angle, it appears that we can see a face looking downward.
The curious thing, as if this were not enough, is that when the area is wet -by rain, for example-, those ‘eyes’ resemble a crying face , as there are small waterfalls that fall through those’ eyes of God’. Another of the perfect snapshots or observations that we can contemplate in this cave is at the moment when the Moon passes through these holes . Many visitors say that it is a ‘magical’, unforgettable scene, which results in extraordinarily beautiful photographs of a very special night sky.
Fortunately, the cave’s easy access allows all kinds of excursions by tourists, cavers or athletes to practice bungee jumping (on the most colossal facade of the cave). As for caving, the cave has practically two hundred caverns (a paradise for amateurs and professionals).
The cave, which was created during the Quaternary period (Cenozoic Era), is part of the Iskar-Panega Geological Park, one of the largest karst regions in the country. There are traces that prehistoric humans inhabited this Prohodna cave during the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods.
As a curiosity, this place appeared in the 1988 Bulgarian film ‘Time of Violence’ – almost 5 hours long and directed by Ludmil Staikov-, right in the scene in which a priest named Aligorko (played by actor Rusi Chanev) prays under the ‘divine eyes’. Pure symbolism.
From here you can see the entrance to the cave.
