Bozhentsi has always been part of the big world. Located near the old Roman road Nicopolis ad Istrum – Augusta Traiana – Constantinople, the Bozhankalis for centuries traveled and traded with Russia, Italy, Austria-Hungary, France, Anatolia.
With 110 houses and about 500 inhabitants, at the end of the 19th century Bozhentsi was an administrative, commercial, cultural and spiritual center. But gradually people are moving out. There are 100 houses left that are between 100 and 250 years old. The exact name of this settlement since its existence is Bozhentsi. The only change was made in the 70s of the 20th century, when from a “hamlet” it became a “village”.
As for its creation / apart from the generally accepted hypothesis of the peasant woman Bojana, who settled here with her entourage, after the capture of Veliko Tarnovo by the Turks/, there is another one. It is assumed that there was once a Roman resting station for people and animals /in Latin “mansia”/ on the mound near the settlement. It is very possible, due to its sound, that people they called it “Monastery”, and because of the religious rites performed there, they also defined it as “God’s place”. Hence the name “Bozhentsi”.
More importantly, its charm and originality became the reason that in 1964 UNESCO included it in the prestigious list of cultural monuments of world importance.
In the second half of the 18th century, the village experienced an economic boom, mainly from trade. From it were exported wool and hides, wax and honey, as well as the products of skilled abadjis and blacksmiths. But not only in Turkey, but also in Russia, Italy, Germany.
At the end of the 19th century, the village became an administrative, commercial, cultural and spiritual center with 110 houses and about 500 inhabitants. But during slavery, the wealthy did not show off their wealth, but turned it into gold, which they buried in the ground.
After the Liberation, they dug it out and started to leave the village, heading for big cities like Gabrovo, where the more enterprising started building factories. The remaining hundred houses are over 200 years old today. They, as a rule, face the street. On the lower floor are the household and craft rooms, stables, sheds for animals, storerooms and cellars. An external staircase leads to the upper floor with a veranda, living room, kitchen /room/ and bedroom /room/.
Today, this romantic village, which is only 15 kilometers from Gabrovo, is visited by thousands of people in all seasons. Two museum houses from the 18th and the first half of the 19th century await them, the exhibition “In The exact name of this settlement since its existence is Bozhentsi. The only change was made in the 70s of the 20th century, when from the “village ” has become a “village”.
As for its creation /besides the generally accepted hypothesis about the peasant woman Bojana, who settled here with her entourage after the capture of Veliko Tarnovo by the Turks/, there is another one. It is assumed that on the mound near the settlement there was once a Roman resting station for people and animals /in Latin “mansia”. It is very possible that, because of its sound, people called it “Monastery”, and because of the religious rites performed there, they also defined it as “God’s place”. Hence the name “Bozhentsi”.
More importantly, its charm and originality became the reason that in 1964 UNESCO included it in the prestigious list of cultural monuments of world importance.
In the second half of the 18th century, the village experienced an economic boom, mainly from trade. From it were exported wool and hides, wax and honey, as well as the products of skilled abadjis and blacksmiths. But not only in Turkey, but also in Russia, Italy, Germany… At the end of the 19th century, the village became an administrative, commercial, cultural and spiritual center with 110 houses and about 500 inhabitants. But during slavery, the wealthy did not show off their wealth, but turned it into gold, which they buried in the ground. After the Liberation, they dug it out and started to leave the village, heading for big cities like Gabrovo, where the more enterprising started building factories. The remaining hundred houses are over 200 years old today. They, as a rule, face the street. On the lower floor are the household and craft rooms, stables, sheds for animals, storerooms and cellars. An external staircase leads to the upper floor with a veranda, living room, kitchen /room/ and bedroom /room/.
Today, this romantic village, which is only 15 kilometers from Gabrovo, is visited by thousands of people in all seasons. Two museum houses from the 18th and the first half of the 19th century await them, the exhibition “Crazy heads and generous donors remain in history”, which presents the history of Bozhentsi with many photos and objects, as well as family trees of prominent local families. And when it comes to donations – one of the most vivid testimonies of generosity is left by the rich merchant and founder of the local revolutionary committee, Ivan Karadimitrov.
Somewhere around 1867, he donated 110 Turkish lira, with which Gencho Kanev from Tryavna built a school with a community center and a library. In more recent times, the descendants of Ivan Karadimitrov bequeathed the village and their father’s house. Under the threshold of the barn, the gods found a pot with 200 gold coins, which were used to build a junior high school with a dining room and a kindergarten. In 1835, the three-nave church “St. prophet Elijah”.
The residents of Bozhentsi also managed to get permission to erect a bell tower, something forbidden by the Turks at that time. And the bell itself was delivered from the distant Russian city of Tula. You can learn these and many other things when you find yourself here .
Museum objects are also the knife workshop, the permanent exhibition-bazaar of fabrics, the cell school, which alternates exhibitions of survakniki, marteniki and many others. etc. Not to mention the hospitality – more than 40 houses are ready to welcome tourists. Or for the traditional cuisine, which offers an incredible abundance of local specialties prepared according to old recipes. In the middle of the 20th century, many artists settled in Bozhentsi, attracted by its distinctive atmosphere.
Today, the village is an attractive tourist center that also offers opportunities for hiking in Stara Planina.
Work time:
Every day: 09:00 – 17:15
Entrance fees:
Visit to the house-museum “Baba Raina”, the house-museum “Doncho Popov” and the museum-workshop “Mengema” with a talk in Bulgarian included Adults – BGN 8.
Pupils, students, pensioners – BGN 6.
Children up to 7 years old , children from specialized institutions for the provision of social services, persons with disabilities – free of charge
Duration of the talk – 50 minutes Groups leave from the Museum – information.
Contacts:
tel. 066/ 804 452; 0887/ 716 290
