The unique of its kind ETHNOGRAPHIC AERIAL COMPLEX - ZLATOGRAD looks forward to seeing you.

Two men are the ideologists and drivers of this successful project - Eng. Alexander Mitushev and Eng. Stefan Bashev, Managing Directors of the company BULTEX LTD. They provided both the resources and logistic support necessary to get things up and running.

Also supported by Zlatograd Municipality, on May 24, 2001 the Complex welcomed the first visitors. The site is located in one of Zlatograd neighbourhoods, known as the "Old Town". The Old Town stretches along the right bank of the Big River.

The numerous sites, some of which rehabilitated with the assistance of the European Union's PHARE and SAPARD programmes, reveal and reflect the natural and geographic prominence and wealth featured by the millennium-long history of the local ethnographic and cultural aerial and most of all - by Zlatograd and the nearby settlements.

The ingenuity of the Complex stems from:

• The dynamic display of museum artifacts combined with the demonstration of traditional handicrafts.



• The novel approach to the exhibiting of antique values in craftsmen's workshops.



• The various sightseeing sites are located in genuine houses. These are architectural and cultural monuments, integrated in an architectural reservation - the biggest one in the Rhodopes! And these houses are full of life - their owners live there on year-round basis.

C O M E   T O   Z L A T O G R A D

Tucked in the Rhodope Mountain, Zlatograd lies on the shed between its central and eastern massif. Situated in a picturesque valley, Zlatograd wombs the Varbiza River, ensuing directly from the heart of the town, where the Small River and the Big River merge. The border between Bulgaria and Greece runs along the ridges of the southern hills just besides the town.

Most easily, Zlatograd is accessible by two main routes:

• Route 1 (140 km) via Assenovgrad:
  Bachkovo Monastery - Narechenski Bani - Chepelare - Smolyan - Madan - Zlatograd.



• Route 2 (60 km) via Kurdjali:
  Djebel - Benkovksi - Zlatograd.

Y O U   W O U L D   P R O B A B L Y   K N O W

or you will learn and appreciate with your own eyes once you come here - WHAT THE RHODOPE MOUNTAIN IS:

• one of the oldest geological formations in Europe;
• probably the most livable and fascinating Bulgarian mountain (and in Bulgaria we have plenty of beautiful and many-faced mountains), with unrepeatable mildness and spirituality;
• this is the likely reason why the Rhodopes became inhabited yet during the early Neolithic period (VI c. B.C.), and host of vivid, diverse and ubiquitous pagan cults thrived around (among the most ancient warships were the Mother Goddess, the Sun God, Dionysos ...)
• a "magic place" - cradle of the mythical and divine ORPHEUS, whose supernatural poetic and musical gift, backed by his elating lyre, subdued and enchanted all living creatures, humans and even gods.
• a treasury of nature, whose aboveground and underground wealth have been luring - from ancient to modern times - numerous tribes and peoples, among which the predecessors of today's Bulgarians: the Thracians (the first local population, about which historical testimony exists), Slavs (who came here in the VI c. A.D.) and Proto-Bulgarians (the second half of the VII c. A.D.).
• Bulgarian Bulwark - yet from the inception of the Bulgarian state (in 681) up to nowadays resisting historical misfortunes and still remaining a cradle of Bulgarian spirit...

W E L C O M E   T O   Z L A T O G R A D

An unforgettable experience is in here for you!
Your meeting with Zlatograd will in all cases surprise you pleasantly:

• if visiting it for the first time, you will feel the charm of its natural beauties and the fascination of its historical prominence;



• if you have already been here, each next time you will rediscover Zlatograd and find out the town's new outlook and enchantment.

The people of Zlatograd will cherish you with traditional Bulgarian hospitality:

• they will give you the best of accommodation and food;



• they will show you around and let you know the most merited agendas of their nature and history;



• they will bless you with their wishes for "sound health, human happiness and Rhodopean longevity".

B U L G A R I A   B E G I N S   F R O M   Z L A T O G R A D

Zlatograd ethnic and cultural aerial has been inhabited for millenniums. The town itself boasts many centuries of history. Numerous archeological finds and cultural monuments are here to support this: pagan sanctuaries, acropolis, tombs, Christian and Muslim places of cult - all these wrapped in the romantic spell of folklore sagas and traditions:

• the largest sanctuary is dedicated to the Sun God (in the White Stones vicinity near the village of Startzevo);



• the medieval religious centre St. Sofia;



• the sacral zone Krustova Gora (Crest Forest).

The Bulgarian Renaissance period has bestowed Zlatograd with the largest architectural compound in the Rhodopes.

The traditional houses impress not only with their whiteness (probably this why in medieval times the town's name was Belovidivo i.e. "white-faced") and round chimneys, but with the genuine combination of architectural elements. Along with Rhodope-typical elements, one can distinguish Mediterranean styles (Xanti) and features of Old Plovdiv architecture. This specificity is traceable both in house planning and constriction, and in the general arrangement of yards and outdoor spaces. Zlatograd relishes the oldest church in Rhodopes (Assumption of Holy Mother) built in 1834 (just for 40 days, as the legend says). This is the only place to see some unique museum collections - dedicated to educational developments in the Middle Rhodopes and to postal communications. The traditional culture of Zlatograd aerial mirrors the spiritual wealth of its originators, which is best manifested in the multifaceted local folklore.

Z L A T O G R A D   I S   B U L G A R I A ' S   S P A C E P O R T

The legendary haidouk (rebel) Delyu Voivoda was born here more than two centuries ago.
A folklore song, which Bulgarians dedicated to Delyu Voivoda, was taken onboard by Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 as they took off to space in 1997... Delyu's song will present the culture of earthly inhabitants when the stations meet with other intelligence...

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