Kardzhali is located in the South-Eastern part of the Republic of Bulgaria. It is the biggest municipality in the Eastern-Rhodope mountain range. The town has become a real administrative, commercial, cultural and industrial centre which belongs not only of the Municipality of Kardzhali, but also to the whole Eastern Rhodopes. The town is 259 km away from Sofia and 90 km away from the town of Plovdiv - the second largest town in Bulgaria. For the time being, the nearest border checkpoint “Captain Andreevo” is 132 km away from the town and connects Bulgaria to the Republic of Turkey and the Republic of Greece.
The Municipality is part of the South Bulgarian Climate zone, and more precisely, it belongs to the Eastern Rhodope climate region which is being influenced by the warm Mediterranean.
Winter is comparatively mild. During the winter period, the minimum temperatures are comparatively high. Summer is hot and sunny, and the maximum temperatures reach 40 ° C . The average winter temperature is about 0 ° C, and in summer – 24 ° C. The average annual temperature is about 11-13 ° C.
Untouched by the negative influence of the industrialization and urbanization, the great bio-diversity, the unique natural sights and the preserved nature, all promote eco-tourism as one of the development priorities of the Municipality. There exist several protected areas on the territory of the municipality – the “Stone Wedding” natural attraction, the “Stone Mushrooms” near the village of Beli plast, the “Rock window” near the village of Kostino, as well as certain protected territories with habitats of universally endangered representatives of flora and fauna - “Maiden-hair fern”, “Fist rock” and “Middle Arda”.
Along the valley of River Arda and near the dams of “Kardzhali” and “Cold well” , there has been initiated the development of all kinds of water sports, as well as the construction of short-term recreation zones. There also exist perfect conditions for hunting, fishing and rowing tourism.
Numerous unique Neolithic monuments, fortresses and other archaeological finds mirror the rich cultural and historical past of this region. A rich collection consisting of over 30 000 exponents, some of which are of universal significance, is exhibited in the Regional Museum of History in the town of Kardzhali. The exhibition in three different departments, namely in “Archaeology”, “Nature” and “Ethnography”, trace the historical development of the Eastern Rhodopes from the 6th millennium B.C up to present days. The most ancient historical layers date back to the New Stone Age, passing through the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. The fortresses, the rock niches and the sanctuaries carry the features of the Thracian, Greek and Roman civilizations. The Medieval monastery complex, fortresses and necropolises reveal the Byzantine might as well as the power of the First and the Second Bulgarian kingdom.
The present archaeological expeditions in the territory of the Municipality reveal new pages of the history of these lands which turn out to be the cross-road of various nations and their cultures.
In August, year 2000, near the town of Kardzhali, near the Medieval fortress of “Perperikon”, archaeologists’ team under the guidance of s.s.c. Nikolay Ovcharov found a Thracian king`s palace with sanctuaries dating back to V-ІV century B.C. and this palace was found under the old fortress. This is the only existing up to now Thracian king`s palace from this epoch.
Museums
The Regional Museum of History
The Regional Museum of History in the town of Kardzhali functions on the territory of Eastern Rhodopes, Southern Bulgaria. It was established in the year of 1965 in order to study and preserve the cultural values, all carrying the historical significance and memory of this region.
Its major fund contains about 37 000 exponents. It has registered 179 archaeological sites, 19 of which are pre-historic, 122 are ancient, while Medieval are 37 of them. 30 of the registered cultural monuments are of national significance.
Researches have been carried out on the following ones: the Pre-historic mound near the village of Sadlere, in the municipality of Momchilgrad; a Roman villa called “Armira”, which is near the town of Ivaylovgrad; a Medieval monastery complex “St. John the Precursor” in “Veselchani” residential district in the town of Kardzhali. Restoration activities will be completed this year, so tourists and worshipers will have the opportunity to visit it.
A total of 119 sites from our architectural heritage are registered. The museum is accommodated in an impressive cult building dating back to 1920, an architectural monument of culture.
The exposition was open to visitors in the year of 1987 and occupied 1800 sq. m, it was a-three-storey building. Another part of the museum is a park yard with water pools and fountains which occupy an area of 15 decares. 22 sorts of plants are planted in the yard and these plants are unique for the area of South Bulgaria.
On the first floor, nine halls in chronological sequence provide opportunity for visitors to track way of life between 4th century B.C. and Medieval times, all this being possible through evidences, photos, copies and reconstructions. Of great importance seem to be the earliest monuments from the Neolithic period: reconstruction of a Village mound from the Neolithic Period – a centre for making stone tools, a rich collection of idol plastic arts. The unique megaliths of the Thracian culture and its cult centres are presented through photos / rock tombs, sanctuaries, niches and votive tablets /. The museum may also organize visits to the very sites.
The Roman civilization has left traces by its luxurious ceramics, the bronze and gold plastic arts, as well as by the stylish marble wall decoration of the “Armira” villa near the town of Ivaylovgrad.
In the very halls of the museum, it seems as if the Medieval civilization exists though the subjects of “Fortress evidence”, “Church architecture and arts”. For the population density of the village of the region we judge also by over 150 well-known Christian necropolises that bring to light silver, bronze, copper and glass ornaments.
The most significant Medieval architectural monument is the monastery “St. John the Precursor” which is introduced by many valuable exponents in the exhibition.
On the second floor, which exists since 1993, in a total of four halls there is an exhibition that presents the nature of the Eastern Rhodopes and gives birth to the feeling of infinite harmony between the mountain and the objects created by human beings. Approximately 30 million years ago this land was under the waters of the Palaeogenic Sea. What was left by the once intensive life are only the fossils- fossils of clams, snails, sea hedgehogs and sea stars, corals and trees, and even fossils of fish. Impressive are the collections of the herbariumized floristic variety, also impressive is the abundance of herbs, as well as ore minerals, the processing activity of which is an occupation typical to local people ever since Ancient times; important to mention is also the abundance of the beautiful agates and jaspers, as well as the brilliance of the various colourful valuable minerals, quartz and calcite crystals, the amethystine cores of the rock geods. The active geological processes have “provided” the greatest amount of mineral stuffs for Bulgaria – graphite, asbestos, mica, perlite etc. Through photos it becomes possible for us to touch the inexplicable phenomena of the unique and provoking our imagination rock forms. Sculpted by the sun, wind and water, they bear the labels of myths and stories – The Stone Wedding , The Stone Mushrooms, The Elephant, The Stone Forest, The Broken mountain etc.
The fact that the region is not so far away from Istanbul has affected positively the establishment of the Bulgarian national revival art in the region. The monuments included in the exposition reveal their genesis and connection with the Late Medieval Art in these lands, they also reveal the lack of chiatus in the development of this art in the region despite the migration processes and pogroms. A series of icons, dating back to the end of the 17th and 18th century, not only reveal their brilliant quality, but also provoke evaluation of their historical context. It is obvious that they have been brought with a great respect to the late Christian churches in order to be preserved because their real value and importance has been taken into consideration. We can be sure that the “St. John the Precursor” icon belongs to the Bulgarian iconography, as a result of the fact that the icon`s inscription with the names of the founder and the stated year of painting – which is the year of 1592- as well as the st and the peculiarities of the curly-rope-type carved frame proves this. In the hall there are not only icons exhibited, but exponents dating back to the 19th century as well – woodcarving, stone and wood plastic art, metal-plastic art, church plate etc .
The exhibition of the “Ethnology” department is on the third floor. The best samples of the culture in the Eastern Rhodopes from the period of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century are all exhibited in 10 halls. Through authentic materials and restorations, there are exhibited the farming, stock-breeding, as well as the most typical occupations – the charcoal-burning, the metalworking, shoemaking, tailoring and weaving. Domestic occupations like spinning, knitting and weaving stripped materials are presented as well. The national dresses of all the ethnics living on the territory of the region are exhibited. The peculiarities of the typical Eastern Rhodope house are presented in details. The traditional national holidays and customs are presented by the ritual pieces of bread that reveal the spirit of the people living in this region.
The “Stanka Dimitrova” Art Gallery that occupies an area of 800 sq.m. exhibits works of painting, woodcut, sculpture and Christian art starting from the classics of the Bulgarian Arts School and going further to the leading Modern authors.
General and more specific discussions on high professional level are carried out in the museum and in the gallery.
The other popular attractions you can check HERE!
The legend
The name of the town has an interesting story. Read more about it HERE!
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