Village of Belchin – millennia of history
Most Bulgarians know about the mineral basins and the old bathroom from 1938, situated next to the village of Belchin. The healing waters and the only water slide in the area attract during the weekends many tourists from the town of Samokov and the capital Sofia that is some 50 km away. However, the small spa village still needs more visitors, but at the same time it is on its way to become a popular tourist attraction, due to an ambitious project, financed by the EU.
The village of Belchin is also interesting to scientists and researchers with one more thing – the remains of past millennia. Most likely, the settlement was established back in antiquity, while in the Middle Ages it used to keep Christian spirituality. It was called Tsari Mali Grad then. Now archaeological excavations reveal the remains of the fortress of the same name near Belchin. “Almost 2/3 of the facility have been already discovered and those are ready for restoration,” Mr. Vesselin Hadzhiangelov, head of the excavations says. The project belongs to the Renaissance of Belchin Foundation and is funded by the EU. The goal is the development of cultural tourism in the area. Visitors of Belchin will be able to take a walk among the restored towers of the ancient fortress from the 4th century in no more than 24 months.
“The curious thing is that a military facility turned into a settlement with obvious social and religious functions some two centuries later – around 6th c. AD,” Vesselin Hadzhiangelov says and adds:
“Three churches have been revealed so far, two of them from the Early Christian period. The oldest one was dated back to the second half of the 4th century. The next one is a basilica from the 6th century, while the last one is a late medieval church from the 15th century. The whole complex was built upon Thracian cult pits from the Late Bronze Age, scattered all over the place. These are sanctuaries, where the Thracians used to perform different rituals in honor of their deities. Tourists will also be able to see the remains of at least 10 buildings, situated along the periphery of the wall. We have six watchtowers and vessels for corn were discovered in some of those. Some of the artifacts found have already been exposed in the museum, situated no more than 300 meters away from the fortress. An attractive access to the site is provided in the project – via a special puffer that will circulate between the museum and the excavations.”
The recently restored church of Sv. Petka from the 17th century can be seen in Belchin too. Many precious icons are kept there. The temple had been almost totally destroyed, but a team of talented restorers and architects brought it back to life. Now Sv. Petka is active again and people from all over the country visit it.
“It turned out that this church was a subordinate to another temple from the 13-14th century that had been burned down,” Mr. Hadzhiangelov says. “Most of the original icons of the church are kept on the second floor that has air conditioning, while the rest are in the iconostasis with magnificent wood carving. The history museum can be found nearby, in a house, built in the Renaissance style, with private donations. Artifacts from the excavations of Tsari Mali Grad can be seen in one of the halls. Some incunabula literature from the Sv. Petka church is exposed in the next hall, while on the second floor visitors can see authentic old costumes, everyday objects, furniture etc. Those were gathered from the ceilings and the basements of almost all houses in Belchin and they show the village’s lifestyle from the 18th to the mid-20th century.”
The project, funded by the EU provides the construction of eco routes, funicular and wooden climbing facilities etc. A kind of Attraction Centre will be built up too, where people will be able to learn medieval fighting techniques, while breathing the fresh air of the Rila Mountain.
Text and photo: bnr.bg
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