History Museum

The Historical Museum in town of Belogradchik is housed in "Panovata kashta" - a building from 1810 and declared monument of culture. The museum was created in 1970 and there are exposed more than 6000 exhibits related to the period of the Ottoman rule and the Bulgarian Renaissance.

The exposition informs us about the social economic development of Belogradchik and the region in 18 and 19 century. It is focused on the uptake in the development of the crafts such as: smithery, home spun tailoring, konduri making, pottery, tailoring, goat’s hair rug making. The old blacksmiths who made not only the ordinary labor tools but also ones with effective decoration. The pottery articles with their interesting form and art decoration impress on pitchers, rakatki, ploska, pavurche (small clay pots). The masters of copper offer various vessels by form and functions – small copper pots, boilers, pitchers, trays, copper dishes. Most of them are distinguished with their precise making and specific decoration.

The most sacred place in Panovata kashta – the fire place – with the iron and clay attributes/sadzhak (three-leg grid over fire), chain, podnitsa (round clay baking pot), ozheg/ affects us with the attractive force of fire and the sacredness of the Bulgarian table.

In Belogradchik, in 18-19 century, excellent goldsmiths have worked. They made both silver and gold covered cult items and various lifestyle objects and jewel decorations. The searching for polychrome, their skill to combine various materials, the use of various techniques speaks about their tastes and aesthetic views. The beauty and sparkle if the female decorations exposed in hall “Goldsmithery” from the second half of 18 century / elements for bride chaplet, earrings, kubelii bracelets, belt buckles, prochelnitsi (forehead ornaments)/ give us a lot of shine, enchantment and ring.

The fragments attached on the wall of the wood carved ceiling of the mosque „Hadzhi Hyusein” carries us over to the year 1751 and remind us for the tragic love of master Stoyne.

The attention is attracted also by the icon collection of the museum. The icons „Bogoroditsa Odigitria”, „Sv. Georgi”, Triptych „Bogoroditsa s Mladenetsa” are the product of the creative genius of masters of Tryavna and Debar.

The hits of the weaver’s reed, which arranges that fairytale of patterns, colors and aroma called Bulgarian cherga (rug) and Bulgarian national costume still echo in Panovata kashta.

The exposition offers rich substantial and documentary material, reflecting the struggles of our people against the Ottoman Rule in the first half of 18 century. Important moment of the events in Belgradchik during the Russian-Turkish Liberation War appear in a row – the siege of the town from the beginning of January 1878, the artillery fire of the Belogradchik fortress on the 13th and 14th January, the negotiations between the fighting sides and the festive welcoming of the Russian and Romanian armies on the 25th February 1878. The exposition narration ends with photos and documents reflecting the fights in Belogradchik during the Serbian-Bulgarian War 1885.

In the courtyard of the museum are exhibited ancient tombstones. The Museum Complex includes the Natural History Museum, the Art Gallery, the Belogradchik Fortress and the Magura Cave.