70 km south of the city of Burgas, 55 km southwest of the city of Tsarevo and 9 km from the border with the Republic of Turkey, is the town of Malko Tarnovo. It is the cultural and administrative center of the municipality of the same name.
It is located at about 340 meters above sea level and has a population of 3,527 inhabitants. The town is the only one in this part of Bulgaria, on the territory of Strandzha mountain.
According to a number of famous researchers, a settlement existed at this place from ancient times. Discovered finds from different eras prove it indisputably. The name of the settlement appears in historical sources from the Roman era, which shows its centuries-old existence, its cultural and economic importance at that time.
On the territory of Malko Tarnovo municipality, among the wild nature of Strandzha mountain, unique archaeological monuments related to Thracian and Roman culture have been preserved.
The historical museum in the town of Malko Tarnovo is the main custodian and promoter of the heritage from antiquity. Established in 1983, it has its treasures in three Strandzha houses from the end of the 19th century – monuments of culture.
Various, interesting and attractive expositions are arranged in them.
The first museum in the town of Malko Tarnovo was created in 1983 under the name “Strandja Museum Complex” and was the result of intensive work in the area under the Strandja-Sakar program.
In 2002, it was restructured into a Municipal Historical Museum and to this day is the only cultural institute in the heart of Strandzha mountain. The exhibition area is located in four Strandzhan Revival houses – monuments of culture that belonged to the rich merchant families Dyakovi and Ilievi from the end of the 19th century.
The house of Capt. Stamat Ikonomov – one of the ideologues of the Transfiguration uprising, opened its doors at the beginning of 2010.
as an Ethnographic House-Museum. The Malko Tarnovo Historical Museum presents six expositions – in the first, the archaeological monuments discovered in recent decades in the sites around and in the city are arranged. Most of the archaeological sites were discovered during the Strandzha-Skar program, led by Prof. Alexander Fol.
That is why in this exposition we present to our patrons a small documentary exhibition in his memory. The epigraphic monuments are arranged in a lapidarium in the courtyard of the museum.
The icon painting is presented in a separate exhibition with samples from Strandzha masters. A special place is devoted to the new history and the Transfiguration Uprising, and the ethnographic collection includes authentic objects and clothing for the East-Rupian ethnographic area, to which the Malkotarnovo region belongs.
An exciting encounter with the Strandzhan nature awaits you at the Nature Gathering – use the telephone booth to “talk” to the birds, enroll in an unusual “language course” and, if you’re not afraid, enter the “Dark Room” to experience the Strandzhan night scene Forest. The latest that you can see is the “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Strandzha” exhibition, presenting the fireplace making, the White Cooker, the Strandzha chapels and saints who are especially revered.
If you have more time, take the opportunity to watch films about nestinars and kukeski games, we also offer you additional informational materials, so that you can sit down and read selected articles related to the intangible cultural heritage of Strandzha, and this – under the monotonous rhythm of nestinar music. The Malko Tarnovo Historical Museum also has a carpet workshop with a demonstration.
You can sit at an authentic loom and try weaving, as well as purchase a unique hand-woven item. Historical Museum actively supports the reconstruction of traditional rites such as White Kuker, Butterfly, Janovden, Lazaruvane. In the courtyard spaces of the museum, restorations and demonstrations of authentic rites are made.
Work time:
November – April:
08.00 – 12.00 and 13.00 – 16.00 (on Saturdays and Sundays the museum opens upon prior request.)
May – October:
from Monday to Friday: 08.00 – 17.00 Saturday and Sunday: 09.30 – 12.00 and 14.00 – 17.00
Entrance fees:
adults – BGN 5,
students – BGN 3,
pensioners – BGN 2,
disabled people – free.
Talks – BGN 10
Contacts:
town of Malko Tarnovo, “Konstantin Petkanov” street No. 1 A.
Phone: 05952 3664, 30-17, 0886647223
