WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?

by Stamen Manolov; photography by Anthony Georgieff

Sandwiched between the Stara Planina and the Sredna Gora mountain ranges in central Bulgaria a series of interconnected valleys provide about 90 percent of one of this country's most prized exports, attar of roses

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Cultivating the rose bushes is difficult enough, but the real challenge comes with picking up the buds: it can be done only within a few weeks in May and early June, and only very early in the morning. A relatively simple procedure follows as the rose petals are boiled and distilled, and – bingo! – the attar of roses that Bulgaria has become world famous for appears.

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where in bulgaria are you.jpg
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
Besides the fortress, it sports plenty of Ottoman-era heritage, including a well-preserved city wall, a post office, a cross-shaped barracks and perhaps the most eccentric mosque this side of the Bosporous.
where in bulgaria are you.jpg
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
A successful negotiation of the cobbled streets, which can become treacherously slippery in wet weather, will open up a new world for you, both out- and indoors.
where in bulgaria are you.jpg
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
Men and women in bathing suits partake, come rain or shine, of some hot mineral springs that flow freely through the yellowish mud. A very un-orthodox church with bold, non-Christian-like murals stands nearby.
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WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
Come Yuletide, and the streets swarm with adult men dressed in what appears to be a combination between early 20th century gendarme uniforms and traditionally embroidered white shirts.
where in bulgaria are you.jpg
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
A bridge spanning over a turbulent whitewater river, which was constructed in such an incredible location that it was quick to gain notoriety for being otherworldly, a structure no human hand was able to accomplish without assistance from supernatural force
where in bulgaria are you.jpg
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
Logically, every odd rock has a story attached to it. Most of them, predictably, are macabre but all are worth listening to as they bespeak folk dreams and memories through the centuries.
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WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
It was destroyed by the invading Ottomans, reviving itself in 1660. The compound you see today is a fine example of Revival Period architecture with a 1844 church with a fine woodcarved iconostasis.
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WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
Many of its wooden houses are well preserved, some have been turned into museums, there are places to stay and places to eat, and the village is home to a couple of festivals one of which gathers an international crowd clad in traditional costu
where in bulgaria are you.jpg
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
At least a dozen man-made lakes of various sizes attract many locals who come here for the serenity, the mountain air and for the angling and photography opportunities.
where in bulgaria are you.jpg
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
First you see a pretty, almost fairy-tale, unmistakably Russian church. Soon you reach a larger-than-life equestrian statue representing a 19th century Russian monarch.
where in bulgaria are you.jpg
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
In recent months the telltale Soviet soldier waving a submachine gun is gone and the whole compound has been fenced off. It is being protected round the clock by Bulgarian police.
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WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
It tells of a boy who loved to dive, but a storm once trapped him to his death in a submarine cave just under the rocks.