Arbanassi village

The old settlement of Arbanassi is situated on a high plateau with a view to the hills of Tzarevetz and Trapezitza, four kilometers from Veliko Turnovo. It's distinguished for its impressive houses and churches with rich interior decoration, wood-carving, and mural paintings created in XVI - XVII century. Namely these unique monuments from our architectural and arts heritage are the cause for A...

Arbanasian houses

The Arbanassi house is right in the middle of a large garden surrounded with high walls. There is a large gate that leads to the yard which gives the impression of entering a fortress. This was the foremost post defending the house in those troublesome times for the Christian people. The garden is grassed, with flower beds in front of the house. At the back there is a stable for the horses of the...

Arbanassi houses

These houses have open verandah without windows covered with wooden lids witch open towards the garden. Modest and strict on its exterior outlook, without balconies and veranda, with grids on the windows and thickly covered gates, the Arbanassi house strikes with its wealth and luxury of its interior structure. The basement is built of stones, with vault entrances leading to big stables, cellars, ...

The Konstantzaliev's house

It's situated opposite the Kokon fountain. It's one of the biggest and most decorated house in Arbanassi. The Konstantzaliev's house was built in 17th c. being a number of times reconstructed later on. It is a two-floor house. Of extreme interest are the specific architecture, the preserved rooms with its decoration and woodcarving. The vessels, the fabrics, the furniture are functional and bea...

The Atanas Kandilarov's house

Next to the Konstantzaliev’s house is the Kandilarov’s house. It probably dates from the beginning of XVIII century and it is the biggest and most fretted house in Arbanassi. Its owner was Hadji Dimitar. That house is built on the street - there are no bay-windows, neither veranda. It’s visible the defended disposition of the ground floor built completely by stone. A stone wall s...

The Hadjiiliev's house

The house is probably being built in the end of XVII or in the beginning of XVIII century. Situated in a wide yard and surrounded by high wall - part of it still can be seen… In the yard there is a well, a big vegetable garden, flower-bed and orchard. It is evidence that the house is property of rich merchant. The Hadjiiliev’s house is built by stone only in the ground floor where a...

The Arbanassi boyars

The people of Arbanassi and their way of life are best described by their contemporaries in the notes they left. “At that time the population of the settlement was numerous; they were boyars (noblemen) having large luxurious houses in Wallahia. They brought golden coins by the thousand and adorned their wives and daughters with them… There were two or three casks of salad oil in eac...