The Matchstick Model Monastery 16 Years In The Making

Can you remember what kind of work or school projects you were working on nearly 16 years ago? Artist Plamen Ignatov can, but that's probably because he's been working on the same project for the last decade and a half. The work in question not only took almost 16 years to complete, it also required over 6 million matchsticks as well as a bit of wood and a few jewels for accents.

Whether or not the effort was worth it is a matter of personal opinion, but there is no doubt that his masterpiece model of the Rila Monastery is impressive. If you need something to compare it to, that's the real Rila Monastery above. Ignatov has certainly impressed his countrymen as well. His creation is currently on display at the Museum of Archaeology in Bulgaria, which happens to be in the same city as the original monastery.