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Gabra (village)
Encyclopedia
Gabra is a village
in Western Bulgaria
, part of Elin Pelin
municipality, Sofia Province
. The village is located in the valley between the mountains Sredna Gora
and Lozenska Planina. There is а church, a primary school and chitalishte
. Near-by the village there is a small orthodox monastery
called Saint Demetrius . The original name of the village is Chukurovo . Since 1934 it is changed to Gabra. The name Gabra derives from the European Hornbeam
.
For the first time Gabra is mentioned in an Ottoman record of celepkeşan's (livestock traders) in November 1576. The document is a detailed inventory of celepkeşan in 13 kazas, including Sofia. The document is stored in the SS. Cyril and Methodius National Library
.
The first known buildings are in the area of Srabenitsa and had a 1.5 meters high wall covered with trees - something like sheepfold with a fire place in the middle. The settlement was recognized by the Ottoman government and was named Chukurova (Chukurovo) from Turkish
: çukur means hole, valley
. Livelihood of the people of that time was farming and later production of charcoal
.
Settlers of Srabenitsa moved into the area of Dahchanets where there was better drinking water. There they built better houses. They placed a wooden cross
near the village and named the place of St Spas because of their salvation. At that time they began to celebrate Ascension of Jesus (Spasovden) which is the official holiday of the village of Gabra.
On December 25, 1877 Chukurovo was released from Ottoman rule. Later the border between the Principality of Bulgaria
and Eastern Rumelia
lied close to the village.
or St. Mitar, as locals call it, is located only 2 km southeast of the village of Gabra. In 1865 Gabra villagers gave their savings and sent their fellow-villager Ivan Chakarov to Istanbul
to ask permission from the Ottoman government to build a monastery
. After heavy four months of travel on foot, with shepherds from Panagyurishte
, he returned to favor in Istanbul. In 1866 Gabra Monastery was erected at the site of an old chapel of St. Marina
(according to some sources of St. Mina
) and was called to St. Demetrius. Church is painted by icon-painter Kostantin Gerov-Kostakiya and his students which can be found in Donor's inscription at the main entrance of the temple.
The monastery had a separate building for housing, another for hoteling guests and magernitsa. There was a 500 ha forest, about 100 ha of fields and meadows, 50-60 cattle and more than 100 sheep. Today only the church of the monastery and the foundations of magernitsa, recently destroyed during the communist regime are preserved.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in Western Bulgaria
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 Elin Pelin
Elin Pelin (town)
Elin Pelin , previously known as Novoseltsi , is a town in central western Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of Elin Pelin municipality, located in central Sofia Province...
municipality, Sofia Province
Sofia Province
Sofia Province is a province of Bulgaria. The province does not include Sofia in its territories, but Sofia however remains its administrative center...
. The village is located in the valley between the mountains Sredna Gora
Sredna Gora
Sredna Gora is a mountain range in central Bulgaria, situated south of and parallel to Balkan mountain range and extending from the river Iskar to the west and the elbow of Tundzha north of Yambol to the east. Sredna Gora is 285 km long, reaching 50 km at its greatest width...
and Lozenska Planina. There is а church, a primary school and chitalishte
Chitalishte
A chitalishte is a typical Bulgarian public institution and building which fulfils several functions at once, such as a community centre, library and a theatre. It is also used as an educational institution, where people of all ages can enroll in foreign language, dance, music and other courses....
. Near-by the village there is a small orthodox monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
called Saint Demetrius . The original name of the village is Chukurovo . Since 1934 it is changed to Gabra. The name Gabra derives from the European Hornbeam
European Hornbeam
Carpinus betulus is a hornbeam native to eastern, western, central and southern England. It requires a warm climate for good growth, and occurs only at elevations up to 600 metres...
.
History
SS. Cyril and Methodius National Library
The SS. Cyril and Methodius National Library is the national library of Bulgaria, situated in the capital city of Sofia...
.
The first known buildings are in the area of Srabenitsa and had a 1.5 meters high wall covered with trees - something like sheepfold with a fire place in the middle. The settlement was recognized by the Ottoman government and was named Chukurova (Chukurovo) from Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
: çukur means hole, valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
. Livelihood of the people of that time was farming and later production of charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
.
Settlers of Srabenitsa moved into the area of Dahchanets where there was better drinking water. There they built better houses. They placed a wooden cross
Cross
A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other, dividing one or two of the lines in half. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally; if they run obliquely, the design is technically termed a saltire, although the arms of a saltire need not meet...
near the village and named the place of St Spas because of their salvation. At that time they began to celebrate Ascension of Jesus (Spasovden) which is the official holiday of the village of Gabra.
On December 25, 1877 Chukurovo was released from Ottoman rule. Later the border between the Principality of Bulgaria
Principality of Bulgaria
The Principality of Bulgaria was a self-governing entity created as a vassal of the Ottoman Empire by the Treaty of Berlin in 1878. The preliminary treaty of San Stefano between the Russian Empire and the Porte , on March 3, had originally proposed a significantly larger Bulgarian territory: its...
and Eastern Rumelia
Eastern Rumelia
Eastern Rumelia or Eastern Roumelia was an administratively autonomous province in the Ottoman Empire and Principality of Bulgaria from 1878 to 1908. It was under full Bulgarian control from 1885 on, when it willingly united with the tributary Principality of Bulgaria after a bloodless revolution...
lied close to the village.
Gabra Monastery
The Monastery St DemetriusSaint Demetrius of Thessaloniki
Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki was a Christian martyr, who lived in the early 4th century.During the Middle Ages, he came to be revered as one of the most important Orthodox military saints, often paired with Saint George...
or St. Mitar, as locals call it, is located only 2 km southeast of the village of Gabra. In 1865 Gabra villagers gave their savings and sent their fellow-villager Ivan Chakarov to Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
to ask permission from the Ottoman government to build a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
. After heavy four months of travel on foot, with shepherds from Panagyurishte
Panagyurishte
Panagyurishte is a town in Pazardzhik Province, Southern Bulgaria, situated in a small valley in the Sredna Gora mountains. It is 91 km east of Sofia, 43 km north of Pazardzhik, and 37 km south of Zlatitsa. The town is the administrative centre of the homonymous Panagyurishte...
, he returned to favor in Istanbul. In 1866 Gabra Monastery was erected at the site of an old chapel of St. Marina
Margaret the Virgin
Margaret the Virgin, also known as Margaret of Antioch , virgin and martyr, is celebrated as a saint by the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches on July 20; and on July 17 in the Orthodox Church. Her historical existence has been questioned; she was declared apocryphal by Pope Gelasius I in 494,...
(according to some sources of St. Mina
Saint Menas
Saint Menas , the Martyr and Wonder-worker, is one of the most well-known Egyptian saints in the East and the West, due to the many miracles that are attributed to his intercession and prayers...
) and was called to St. Demetrius. Church is painted by icon-painter Kostantin Gerov-Kostakiya and his students which can be found in Donor's inscription at the main entrance of the temple.
The monastery had a separate building for housing, another for hoteling guests and magernitsa. There was a 500 ha forest, about 100 ha of fields and meadows, 50-60 cattle and more than 100 sheep. Today only the church of the monastery and the foundations of magernitsa, recently destroyed during the communist regime are preserved.