Momchilovtsi
Encyclopedia
Momchilovtsi is a Bulgaria
n village and ski resort in the Central Rhodopes, about 15 km northeast of Smolyan
. It has an ethnographic museum, an art gallery
and a number of churches and chapels (24 in the village and the vicinity), the most famous of which is the SS. Constantine and Helen
Church built in 1836. The houses, mostly large 2- or 3-storey buildings, are amphitheatrically set at 1,352 m above sea level.
Thracian
and Roman
artifacts have been discovered close to the village. It is thought that it was founded by exiles from Raykovo (now part of Smolyan) that sought to escape forcible conversion to Islam
by the Ottomans
. The present village is named after Momchil Voyvoda, a medieval fighter against the Ottoman invasion that had a fortress in the area. Momchilvotsi is a large village compared to others in the Rhodopes, with 1,456 inhabitants and 550 houses, and has completely preserved its Christian
character unlike many other villages in this mountainous part of the country.
In the 2000s Momchilvotsi began to establish itself as a centre of tourism, more specifically snowboarding
and village tourism, with small family hotels and sports facilities being established.
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...
n village and ski resort in the Central Rhodopes, about 15 km northeast of Smolyan
Smolyan
Smolyan is a town and ski resort in the very south of Bulgaria not far from the border with Greece. It is the administrative and industrial centre of the homonymous Smolyan Province...
. It has an ethnographic museum, an art gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
and a number of churches and chapels (24 in the village and the vicinity), the most famous of which is the SS. Constantine and Helen
Helena of Constantinople
Saint Helena also known as Saint Helen, Helena Augusta or Helena of Constantinople was the consort of Emperor Constantius, and the mother of Emperor Constantine I...
Church built in 1836. The houses, mostly large 2- or 3-storey buildings, are amphitheatrically set at 1,352 m above sea level.
Thracian
Thracians
The ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting areas including Thrace in Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...
and Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
artifacts have been discovered close to the village. It is thought that it was founded by exiles from Raykovo (now part of Smolyan) that sought to escape forcible conversion to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
by the Ottomans
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. The present village is named after Momchil Voyvoda, a medieval fighter against the Ottoman invasion that had a fortress in the area. Momchilvotsi is a large village compared to others in the Rhodopes, with 1,456 inhabitants and 550 houses, and has completely preserved its Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
character unlike many other villages in this mountainous part of the country.
In the 2000s Momchilvotsi began to establish itself as a centre of tourism, more specifically snowboarding
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...
and village tourism, with small family hotels and sports facilities being established.