TOWN OF KOTEL
The Stronghold of Bulgarian Spirit



Kotel - a town which is a legend and a history! It is situated amidst the picturesque natural scenery of the Eastern Balkan Range and is not only a place with majestic nature, fresh air and pure mountain water, an important cultural and historical centre. Kotel is also called the Stronghold of Bulgarian Spirit, the Cradle of the Renaissance which has weaned and given to its motherland over 120 eminent National Revival Figures.

Kotel is a town with beautiful architectural models from the Late Revival and one of the most important centers of the weaving art. The name of the town is mentioned for the first time in a Turkish document in1486. In the second half of the Eighteenth and the Nineteenth Centuries more than 450 000 heads of sheep were said to have been raised by the Kotel shepherds up there, far to the north east, in the rolling planes of Dobroudzha where from endless oxteam caravans of shorn wool kept coming back to Kotel to be turned into homespun abas and hoddens. Long term contracts for cloth deliveries to the Ottoman Army had provided the population with considerable privileges and had given them self - confidence and a spirit of freedom loving and independence.

The Kotel people are known to be industrious, enterprising and studious. They used to keep up on donations of their own the 5 secular schools, to build clapboard houses with woodcut doors, carved ceiling soffits. Women had added homespun broadloom carpets, fluffy rugs and cushions to the beauty and warmth of their homes. Kotel is turned into one of the richest, most beautiful, patriotic settlements - a national center of the Bulgarian Revival.
Kotel 's National Revival period houses are of the "
wooden type"
seen frequently in the Eastern Balkan Range. The only difference was that in Kotel they were higher - up to 3-4 storeys, the ground floors housing shops and workshops, rather than the usual household premises. The originally open veranda is lost in later times, making the houses akin to closed urban homes - with spacious central salons and a wealth of decorative elements. A devastating fire in 1894 wiped out nearly the entire town of which only two quarters - Galata and Durlyanka survived. Besides an ethnographic museum, there are some beautifully preserved houses, including the Kosichkov, Pisomov, Burnev, Bairumov and Karaivanov houses, the old water mill and an inn.

During Ottoman domination was that of a "
privileged soldiers' village"
, exempt from state taxes. This enabled its inhabitants to acquire wealth ass merchants and craftsmen and to feel spiritually and politically free to a large extent. In 1765 Paissii of Hilendar, the author of the first Bulgarian history - Slav-Bulgarian History - gave the manuscript to Kotel clergyman Priest Stoiko, the future bishop Sophronius of Vratsa, who was responsible for the History's first copy. Kotel's inhabitants were also the first to mark the Day of the Founders of the Slav Script, the brothers Cyril and Methodius, on May 24, 1860 - an official holiday today.

At the beginning of the Ottoman rule Kotel was inhabited by the so called dervendgis (they used to guard the passes in the Balkan) and dgelepis (traders of cattle, sheep). Long term contracts for cloth deliveries to the Ottoman army had provided relative independence of the town. That, as well as the economic growth in 18 – 19 century, contracts for trade and the Orthodox passion of the inhabitants of Kotel contributed to the transformation of the town into a centre of Bulgarian culture and education, of the struggle for church independence and national freedom. In 1812 the first Bulgarian secular elite school was open there.

After the liberation in 1894 Kotel suffered devastating fire that devoured 4/5ths of the town. Only the suburb called Galata survived and today it renders an approximate idea of what the old town looked like.

In the 19th century Kotel already boasted four secular schools. The school in the Galata quarter is now a Museum of the Bulgarian National Revival. A large part of the exhibition is dedicated to Kotel local Georgy Stoikov Rakovski - one of the outstanding ideologues and figures of the Bulgarian national liberation movement.

Nevertheless, the preserved architectural examples provide a good idea of the town's former appearance. Just takea look at the Kyorpeev House, now an Ethnographic Museum, the Kosichkov, Pisomov, Burnev, Bairumov and Karaivanov houses, the old water mill and the inn. The yards are dotted with geraniums and carnations.

The locals still weave their famous Kotel carpets and many of their children study at the town's secondary music school for national instruments and folk singing.

The town is a native place of a number of eminent National Revival figures: Georgy Sava Rakovski (one of the main ideologist of the movement for national liberation), the Renaissance men of letters Neophyte Bozvelli, Dr. Petar Beron, Sofroni Vrachanski, the socially active men Gavril Krastevich, Aleko Bogoridi, Stefan Bogoridy and many others.

The enchanting highland scenery, the ancient neighbourhood of the town with its woodwork houses and narrow, cobblestone streets, the park with its gushing springs, the four museums, the Folk-music school, the preserved atmosphere of the past attract lost of visitors to Kotel.

Kotel is a town with beautiful architectural models from the Late Revival and one of the most important centres of the weaving art. The name of the town is mentioned for the first time in a Turkish document in1486. In the second half of the Eighteenth and the Nineteenth Centuries more than 450 000 heads of sheep were said to have been raised by the Kotel shepherds up there, far to the north east, in the rolling planes of Dobroudzha where from endless oxteam caravans of shorn wool kept coming back to Kotel to be turned into homespun abas and hoddens. Long term contracts for cloth deliveries to the Ottoman Army had provided the population with considerable privileges and had given them self - confidence and a spirit of freedom loving and independence. The Kotel people are known to be industrious, enterprising and studious. They used to keep up on donations of their own the 5 secular schools, to build clap board houses with woodcut doors, carved ceiling soffits. Women had added homespun broadloom carpets, fluffy rugs and cushions to the beauty and warmth of their homes. Kotel is turned into one of the richest, most beautiful, patriotic settlements - a national centre of the Bulgarian Revival.

The devastating fires as that of 1894 had devoured four - fifths of the built up civic area. It remains its glory as a settlement - national pride for all Bulgarian people. The exhibition of typical woven materials from this Region in Galatan - school is devoted to the weaving art of the Kotel women. It is open to the public from May to October. The exhibition presents the development of this art from the simple ragcarpet through the classic carpet to the complicated up to date forms. Their workmanship is demonstrated on a primitive loom. On the first floor exponents from the Revival and the Twentieth Century are exhibited and on the second-new woven icons and pictures of Kotel workwomen-masters. The tradition in their works is enriched and developed further. The beauty and the great value of our woven materials contribute to the glory of Kotel very much.

The enchanting highland scenery, the ancient neighbourhood of the town with its woodwork houses and narrow, cobblestone streets, the park with its gushing springs, the four museums, the Folk-music school, the preserved atmosphere of the past attract lost of visitors to Kotel.

That house in the middle of the top pic is actually one of the Museum's, which is less than 50 yards from our own house (the house you can see 'through' the wishing well is our neighbour, Ivan)!

Chris it sounds a lovely place to live. I despair of what Brits are looking for. Your house is lovely and in a great place. It seems that most (not all) Brits are more concerned with living in a Brit Pack in certain areas rather than looking for an idyllic lifestyle. In our VT area it seems the favoured villages are all north of VT in the Resen and surrounding areas. It used to be Dryanovo way. This is purely my observation and one wonders if it is down to agents preferences for profit and lower prices than our beautiful area south of VT on the Elena road which takes some beating for beauty. Driving on our village bus to VT yesterday I am still astounded by the beauty all along the route from Mindya through Kapinovo, Tserova Korya, Pcheliste and Prisovo. Once again I wish you good luck with a sale Chris. Are there any Brits coming to Bulgaria with more than 10,000euros in their pockets???? I hope those that do buy in this price range thinking they can renovate themselves cheaper know how tricky this is and how costly. But what do I know?????

oldun wrote:

It seems that most (not all) Brits are more concerned with living in a Brit Pack in certain areas rather than looking for an idyllic lifestyle

Totally agree oldun. During our 14 years spent in France, the brits tended to 'flock' together. The villages that were 'Brit' villages soon became well known and the French that had been there for years all sold up and moved out (making way for yet more Brits). This was mainly because all the 'brit builders' were working for 'cash' and the French artisans never got invited to quote (they had to charge 'real money' to cover their tax and social charges, so came out more expensive). All the 'table tops arrived with folks selling British goods but again, not declaring their income the authorities. The local 'bar' started serving 'fish n chips', etc., and the French no longer went there (shame after 100 years or more.

I found that all the Brits I ever met wanted to move for a 'better lifestyle' (I can't even remember the number of times I heard that) but refused to 'integrate'. Nobody spoke the language, nobody had French friends ... it was sad to watch.

Seems they all wanted Britain, but on the cheap.

Don't get me started on this one otherwise I'll have to move to the blog site and post a million words.

A tip for anybody living abroad: speak the language, understand the culture and don't rely on the fact that just because somebody is a 'Brit' they are a mate or trustworthy.

Rant over!

I totally agree with both of you regarding the 'Brit Pack'..we have the same thing in Australia with whole suburbs full of them, sitting around whinging about how this or that is so much better at home in the UK. I live where I do mainly to avoid all that.

Oh I soooo love you Chris and Bgbazz. Its what I have thought, spoken of and even preached on here and elsewhere but never got a response. Surprising eh? We have integrated and learnt basic Bulgarian language, supported our village and...... well you all know my story on here. What happens? We have been totally isolated by the Brits who have come to live who don't want to integrate in village life at all but are jealous of us doing so. The village bar has been totally taken over by the Brits who even have the keys and have actually barred Bulgarians. How odd is that? Of course the bar is not legal but the owner has friends in high places but don't get me started either or I will have to join Chris and write the whole sorry story. This seems to happen wherever Brits live abroad. There are the halcyon days when a few pioneering Brits wanting an adventure and a nice simple affordable lifestyle in a new country only to find its all spoiled when the social climbers arrive, build English style houses with their pot of gold from a house sale in Britain in order to live on the cheap, who then begin the whole saga again which they left behind them leaving those who were happy living a more bohemian lifestyle despairing of the consequencies. Nouveau Riche springs to mind. We are not talking of real entrepeneurs who might bring wealth and business to the country here.
In our area recently I have noticed, on the dreaded FB, a proliferation of carboots, home businesses etc and the subsequent bitching amongst those desperate to make a tax-'free buck. Sorry not for me. I would love to find another place abroad but age and oncoming infirmity to say nothing of expensive bureaucratic restrictions, will curb my desire, so its back to Blighty which in my world is still okay.

Please Chris and Oldun tell the whole story.... may be you should get it out in the open.

No I don't think so Guinness. Why? Because I still love Bulgaria and whatever I would write would be strongly disputed by those written about. People with some kind of personality disorder do not care if people like them or not. I do care and I will continue to live my life as I always have - happily. My happiness has been undermined by people that I wouldn't give houseroom to but I don't need to resort to scandal mongering in order to get my own back on them. I have said it before that I have a faith and Karma will eventually sort them all out.
Fortunately, we have good Bulgarian friends who now know what is going on and after pleading with us to stay now realise that we must move on. Village life will continue as it always has but I just wish that those who have sought to undermine all our efforts believing that it was all done out of self-interest, will wake up and actually integrate and talk to the Bulgarians as fellow human beings. I can just hear their guffaws of protest if they read that little quote!!!!! Thats all I have to say on the matter.
The only reason I can see that Chris's lovely home has not sold it because it is out of the Brit Pack area. If I thought our house would fetch enough to pay for it I would consider buying and staying in Bulgaria. Unfortunately, it seems that our home, which has kept us warm and cosy in all weathers and cool in summer with few problems, will not attract the buyers that are coming out now and will take a while to sell even at the stupidly low price we are now asking. People are looking for totally renovated British style houses that are going for a song because some distressed Brit is selling up probably for the same reason we are. Clue is - we have received an offer of 15,000euros for our property which is much less than we paid for it and, like Chris, does not include a fraction of the cost of the renovations we did to a good standard. Its insulting and obviously offered by the type of person we are talking about. Rant over!

Oldun, I've looked back on some of the other posts you have written and no one seems to dispute what you say.... may be these people you speak of are not on this forum so I say rant away, I'm sure the mods will take your side as you seem well liked here. Very sorry your struggling to sell your house, I'm sure your both now deperate to move on and start the new chapter in your lives.

:Thank you:Guinness I will now start a new topic as your question is really wide ranging and I thank you for caring. Maybe I will start a blog though I think the whole world and his wife are writing blogs and I am not entirely in favour of them. After all we all have a story to tell. In the interests of information though maybe it will be worth it.

Guinness101 wrote:

Oldun, I've looked back on some of the other posts you have written and no one seems to dispute what you say.... may be these people you speak of are not on this forum so I say rant away, I'm sure the mods will take your side as you seem well liked here. Very sorry your struggling to sell your house, I'm sure your both now deperate to move on and start the new chapter in your lives.

There is a very big danger of over exposing one's self (excuse the pun) and fellow members getting fed up with reading the same old **** but on a different day. As most will know I and my family have had more than our fair share of organised crime and hatred over a period of six years
Before the birth of this forum I was a regular poster on MyBg and under the heading of fraud and organised crime I posted regular with up dates and information about the illegal sale of our villa, how we persisted with our fight for justice against a Bulgarian gang through four District Courts and the Sofia Supreme Court. I had great support from Admin and the Mods but the regular posters (most will know who I am referring to) started to get a bit restless and fed up because I could not give all the information they wanted because the situation was under Police investigation, for what that is worth in Bulgaria
But the story does not end there as there was also a British involvement, and from winning our villa back to this very day I and my family are still getting disgusting, vile emails and death threats all through Anonymous sources using many different Aliases. If we could name and shame the perpetrators on forums, they might not be so eager to try and ruin peoples lives. and live and let live
I have followed with great interest Oldun's postings and I can fully appreciate her and Tom's feelings about the various problems that have confronted them. In fact Oldun and myself have a lot in common and we've been in touch with each other through the pm system as some information and names put on an open forum would be deleted by Admin or Mod's
So back to my opening sentence, you can have to much of a good thing, a forum can be a place for friendship and valuable information, or it can be full of hatred, jealousy, and internet trolls, covering cyber crime and trying to destroy civilised peoples lives. I am very pleased to be a member on this forum

willowsend wrote:

a forum can be a place for friendship and valuable information, or it can be full of hatred, jealousy, and internet trolls, covering cyber crime and trying to destroy civilised peoples lives.

Thanks for that Bryan, we do try to keep this forum well within the first group you mentioned and have no time for trolls or hateful posters here.

However (mod hat on), could we now keep this on topic (town of Kotel) as the more interest in the town, the more chance of me selling my house!



Chris

It looks a lovely place to live and would certainly suit us when we eventually sell our property. Unfortunately, we are in the same position as Chris in that we are selling at barely above what we paid and will possibly have to sell for less, never mind losing the money on renovation. It is a buyers market and as has been said, its difficult to know what exactly folks are looking for. That is if they even know! Maybe some people actually make a holiday out of visiting places with their agent without wanting to buy. We had a very interesting viewing with a Frenchman and his daughter who seemed very interested but on enquiring of the agent he said he hadn't got a contact number as the guy was travelling through various European countries! What hope of selling a house when he didn't even know which country he wanted to live in!
Although I am not convinced that agents have a good salesman's approach, I do have some sympathy with them with so many wasted miles driving folk around for no result.
I fell in love with both the houses I have bought in Bulgaria and the village. I honestly think that you can do too much research on the internet nowadays. Have people no heart and soul? I am sure there is someone out there for both Kotel and Mindya but finding them is difficult and why we end up relying on agents.
There are houses for sale from Bulgarians in our village unrenovated which are on the market for little less than our comfy home. They will sit on their houses until the market rises however long that takes. They know the value of their beautiful village. That is why we paid only 2,000 less than the asking price for both our houses. Its what I knew we wanted.