31 December 2025
Come Face to Face with the “Eyes of God” – Prohodna Cave, Bulgaria
The Balkan Mountains cross northern Bulgaria in a solid line, broken only by the Iskăr Gorge, which dissects it in a 70km line. This is fortunate, as the capital city of Sofia is connected with other major cities by means of a road and railway line through the gorge, following the course of the Iskar River. The scenery alone is impressive, with gorge walls rising to around 300 metres in places. Yet dotted throughout the gorge are numerous caves, none more famous than Prohodna, where visitors can behold nothing less than the “Eyes of God”. Image Credit
About 8km away from the nearest town of Lukovit and 2km from the village of Rumyantsevo (the only place from which it is accessible), the name of the cave – “Prohodna” – simply translates as “passage”. Why? That’s because the cave has two entrances and so the visitor is able to walk from one end to the other. One way into the cave is significantly larger than the other, so they are simply known as the “small entrance” and the “large entrance”. Yet these names, while pragmatic, belie the size of the entrances – the smaller one is 35 metres (115 ft) high while the large one reaches 45 metres (148 ft). There really isn’t anything small about either, truth be told.
Visitors often remark on the site’s spiritual nature.
Indeed, the approach to the vast entrance appears almost cathedral-like, formed
in the shape of a tall, elegant bell. In fact, the cave was created over 68
million years ago by the forces of the Iskar River. Since then, water levels
have fallen, leaving the cave ‘high and dry’ (though not quite as dry as the
phrase suggests), and it is easy to see why people have used it as a place of
worship for as long as they have lived in the Balkans.
Inside, Prohodna is just as arresting as its entrance
promises. The cave is unusually long and wide, stretching for around 260
metres, with a ceiling that arches high above the visitor’s head. Unlike many
caves, it contains very few stalactites or stalagmites – its real drama comes
from scale and light. Daylight pours in from both ends, illuminating the
limestone walls and creating a sense of openness that feels almost unnatural
underground. The floor is relatively even, making it easy to walk through, yet
the sheer height of the cavern never allows you to forget how small you are
within it.
And then you come across the eyes...
It is in the centre of the cave’s ceiling that Prohodna
reveals its most famous feature: two perfectly formed holes, side by side,
staring downwards like a colossal, unblinking gaze. Known collectively as the
“Eyes of God”, these openings were created by erosion and collapse, but their
symmetry feels almost deliberate. When viewed from below, especially on a
bright day, the light streaming through them gives the unmistakable impression
of a divine presence watching silently from above. At certain times, clouds
drift past the openings, causing the “eyes” to dim or brighten, as if they were
alive.
This natural phenomenon has inevitably fuelled spiritual interpretations. Many visitors report a strong emotional response when standing beneath the eyes, describing feelings of awe, unease, or calm reverence.
Sound
behaves strangely here too: voices echo and linger, adding to the sense that
the cave is not merely a geological structure but a place charged with meaning.
Whether one believes in divine oversight or not, it is hard to stand beneath
the “Eyes of God” without feeling observed - and perhaps quietly judged.
Judgement aside, the place was, according to local legend, a place of punishment. For several centuries, Bulgaria was under Ottoman rule, a period marked by religious pressure and cultural suppression. There is a folk story that, during this time, local girls who refused to convert to Islam were thrown headlong into the cave. There are also tales of Romans and Thracians hiding their treasure in the cave – although none has ever been discovered (even though the cave receives thousands of visitors a year).
Image Credit 1, 2, 3
At the risk of
sounding a little Indiana Jones, perhaps it is still there waiting for an
intrepid archaeologist to discover it – after all a gorgeous Thracian treasure
trove was discovered (completely by accident) in nearby Lukovit in 1953 (see
above).
Today, rather than worshippers or treasure hunters, the
visitor is more likely to encounter bungee jumpers, who use the larger of the
two entrances to leap dramatically into the open space below. The vast height
of the cave makes it one of the most striking bungee-jumping locations in
Europe, with participants plunging through the air before rebounding against a
backdrop of ancient limestone. For some, it is the ultimate adrenaline rush;
for others, it is a curious contrast - modern thrill-seeking framed by a site
once associated with gods, punishment and prayer. Is this a form of reverence
in itself, or simply a reminder of how human relationships with sacred spaces
change over time?
Some even have the timerity to bungee jump through one of the Eyes of God!
Prohodna Cave is, ultimately and perhaps inevitably, a place
where nature and belief have intersected throughout our history. Shaped by
water over millions of years, interpreted by humans for thousands more, it
stands as both a geological wonder and a cultural mirror. The “Eyes of God” do
not speak, yet they have inspired fear, faith, legend and exhilaration in equal
measure – and continue to do so today. Whether approached as a site of worship,
a repository of myth, a destination for adventure, or simply a place to gawk at
another of nature’s wonders, Prohodna leaves a lasting impression - one that
follows the visitor long after they have walked back into the daylight, away
from the watchful gaze above.
