Dobarsko
Encyclopedia
Dobarsko is a village in southwestern Bulgaria
, part of Razlog
municipality, Blagoevgrad Province
. It is set at 1,070 m above sea level on the southern slopes of Rila
with the westernmost Rhodope Mountains
to the east and Pirin
to the south near the valley of the Mesta River
. Dobarsko is 80 km from Blagoevgrad
and 17 km from the winter resort Bansko
. the village has a population of 672 and about 200 houses, the mayor being Nikola Naydenov.
According to the legend, Dobarsko was founded by soldiers from Bulgarian tsar Samuil
's blinded army after the Battle of Belasitsa in 1014, who arrived in the area en route to the Rila Monastery
and discovered a holy spring that allegedly cured them. Dobarsko is first mentioned in Tsar Ivan Shishman
's donor's charter from the Rila Monastery in 1378.
During the Ottoman rule of Bulgaria Dobarsko established itself as the most important and richest village in the Razlog Valley
. Many of the locals were merchants who bought cotton from Northern Greece and sold it in Central Europe
and grazed large herds of cattle in the mountains and the plains around Drama
and Serres
. However, Dobarsko began to lose its former importance in the late 18th century, as Bansko rose to become the centre of the region.
Dobarsko is known for its 25-metre waterfall
, Shtrokaloto, its two old Eastern Orthodox churches and the many consecrated grounds and chapels in the area, as well as the view of three of Bulgaria's highest and largest mountains from the village.
The Church of Theodore Tyro and Theodore Stratelates
, a small three-naved stone basilica half dug into the ground, was constructed no later than 1614 (with some sources claiming as early as 1122) and painted in 1672. The church donors, Bogdan, Hasiya and his son, as well as the builders Spas, Stanko and Smilen, are depicted in a donors' fresco left of the door. The church is noted for its abundance of original frescoes and icons, some of which are interpreted as portraying Jesus in a rocket. The holy spring in the church yard is said to be curative and indeed the one that cured Samuil's soldiers that founded the village, as depicted in one fresco. A small swastika
and a cross on the eastern wall are the only items in the exterior that show that the small stone building is a religious temple. The frescoes were cleaned up and partially restored in 1974-1978 and the church is a national monument of culture, as well as one of the 100 national tourist attractions.
The other church, the Church of the Purification of the Virgin, is a richly-decorated Bulgarian National Revival
work on the opposite side of the road dating to 1860. Other chapels and consecrated grounds around Dobarsko include the Goatherd's Church, the Dug Church, St Elijah, St Spas, St Athanasius, the Holy Trinity, the Holy Theotokos, St Demetrius and St George.
According to several travellers' accounts, Dobarsko was the centre of a famous beggars' school of blind singers that spread all over the country and existed until 1939. The beggars also invented a cant
for their own use by uniting Bulgarian, Greek, Vlach and Roma vocabulary, and performed heroic epic songs.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, part of Razlog
Razlog
Razlog is a town and ski resort in Razlog Municipality, Blagoevgrad Province in southwestern Bulgaria. It is situated in the Razlog Valley and was first mentioned during the reign of Byzantine emperor Basil II....
municipality, Blagoevgrad Province
Blagoevgrad Province
Blagoevgrad Province , also known as Pirin Macedonia , is a province of southwestern Bulgaria. It borders four other Bulgarian provinces to the north and east, Greece to the south, and the Republic of Macedonia to the west. The province has 14 municipalities with 12 towns...
. It is set at 1,070 m above sea level on the southern slopes of Rila
Rila
Rila is a mountain range in southwestern Bulgaria and the highest mountain range of Bulgaria and the Balkans, with its highest peak being Musala at 2,925 m...
with the westernmost Rhodope Mountains
Rhodope Mountains
The Rhodopes are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, with over 83% of its area in southern Bulgaria and the remainder in Greece. Its highest peak, Golyam Perelik , is the seventh highest Bulgarian mountain...
to the east and Pirin
Pirin
The Pirin Mountains are a mountain range in southwestern Bulgaria, with Vihren the highest peak, situated at . The range extends about 40 km northwest-southeast, and about 25 km wide. Most of the range is protected in the Pirin National Park...
to the south near the valley of the Mesta River
Mesta River
The Nestos or Mesta , formerly the Mesta Karasu , is a river in Bulgaria and Greece. It rises in the Rila Mountains and flows into the Aegean Sea near the island of Thasos. It plunges down towering canyons toward the Aegean Sea through mostly metamorphic formations...
. Dobarsko is 80 km from Blagoevgrad
Blagoevgrad
Blagoevgrad is а city in southwestern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Blagoevgrad Province, with a population of about 74,302 . It lies on the banks of the Blagoevgradska Bistritsa River....
and 17 km from the winter resort Bansko
Bansko
Bansko is a town and a popular ski resort in southwestern Bulgaria, located at the foot of the Pirin Mountains at an elevation of 925 m above sea level....
. the village has a population of 672 and about 200 houses, the mayor being Nikola Naydenov.
According to the legend, Dobarsko was founded by soldiers from Bulgarian tsar Samuil
Samuil of Bulgaria
Samuel was the Emperor of the First Bulgarian Empire from 997 to 6 October 1014. From 980 to 997, he was a general under Roman I of Bulgaria, the second surviving son of Emperor Peter I of Bulgaria, and co-ruled with him, as Roman bestowed upon him the command of the army and the effective royal...
's blinded army after the Battle of Belasitsa in 1014, who arrived in the area en route to the Rila Monastery
Rila Monastery
The Monastery of Saint Ivan of Rila, better known as the Rila Monastery is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. It is situated in the southwestern Rila Mountains, south of the capital Sofia in the deep valley of the Rilska River at an elevation of above sea level...
and discovered a holy spring that allegedly cured them. Dobarsko is first mentioned in Tsar Ivan Shishman
Ivan Shishman of Bulgaria
Ivan Shishman ruled as emperor of Bulgaria in Tarnovo from 1371 to 3 July 1395. The authority of Ivan Shishman was limited to the central parts of the Bulgarian Empire. His indecisive and inconsistent policy did little to prevent the fall of his country under Ottoman rule. In 1393 the Ottoman...
's donor's charter from the Rila Monastery in 1378.
During the Ottoman rule of Bulgaria Dobarsko established itself as the most important and richest village in the Razlog Valley
Razlog Valley
The Razlog Valley is a valley in southwestern Bulgaria located between the high Rila , Pirin and Rhodope Mountains . The nature of the valley was influenced by both the Alpine character of Rila and Pirin and the Mediterranean climate of the Aegean Sea from the south.The valley is located at 865 m...
. Many of the locals were merchants who bought cotton from Northern Greece and sold it in Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
and grazed large herds of cattle in the mountains and the plains around Drama
Drama, Greece
Drama , the ancient Drabescus , is a town and municipality in northeastern Greece. Drama is the capital of the peripheral unit of Drama which is part of the East Macedonia and Thrace periphery. The town is the economic center of the municipality , which in turn comprises 53.5 percent of the...
and Serres
Serres, Greece
Sérres is a city in Macedonia, Greece. It is situated in a fertile plain at an elevation of about 70 m, some 24 km northeast of the Strymon river and 69 km north-east of the Macedonian capital, Thessaloniki. The Rhodope Mountains rise to the north and east of the city...
. However, Dobarsko began to lose its former importance in the late 18th century, as Bansko rose to become the centre of the region.
Dobarsko is known for its 25-metre waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
, Shtrokaloto, its two old Eastern Orthodox churches and the many consecrated grounds and chapels in the area, as well as the view of three of Bulgaria's highest and largest mountains from the village.
The Church of Theodore Tyro and Theodore Stratelates
Theodore of Amasea
See also Theodore StratelatesSaint Theodore of Amasea is one of the two saints called Theodore who are venerated as Warrior Saints and Great Martyrs in the Eastern Orthodox Church. He is also known as Theodore Tiro...
, a small three-naved stone basilica half dug into the ground, was constructed no later than 1614 (with some sources claiming as early as 1122) and painted in 1672. The church donors, Bogdan, Hasiya and his son, as well as the builders Spas, Stanko and Smilen, are depicted in a donors' fresco left of the door. The church is noted for its abundance of original frescoes and icons, some of which are interpreted as portraying Jesus in a rocket. The holy spring in the church yard is said to be curative and indeed the one that cured Samuil's soldiers that founded the village, as depicted in one fresco. A small swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
and a cross on the eastern wall are the only items in the exterior that show that the small stone building is a religious temple. The frescoes were cleaned up and partially restored in 1974-1978 and the church is a national monument of culture, as well as one of the 100 national tourist attractions.
The other church, the Church of the Purification of the Virgin, is a richly-decorated Bulgarian National Revival
Bulgarian National Revival
The Bulgarian National Revival , sometimes called the Bulgarian Renaissance, was a period of socio-economic development and national integration among Bulgarian people under Ottoman rule...
work on the opposite side of the road dating to 1860. Other chapels and consecrated grounds around Dobarsko include the Goatherd's Church, the Dug Church, St Elijah, St Spas, St Athanasius, the Holy Trinity, the Holy Theotokos, St Demetrius and St George.
According to several travellers' accounts, Dobarsko was the centre of a famous beggars' school of blind singers that spread all over the country and existed until 1939. The beggars also invented a cant
Cant (language)
A Cant is the jargon or argot of a group, often implying its use to exclude or mislead people outside the group.-Derivation in Celtic linguistics:...
for their own use by uniting Bulgarian, Greek, Vlach and Roma vocabulary, and performed heroic epic songs.
External links
- Official website (in Bulgarian, English and French)