Early Bulgarian Architecture

Bulgarian Architecture (Thracian, Roman, Early Mediaval)

For thousands of years the Balkan Penisula has been colonized, conquered, crossed, devastated from different nations, tribes and groups thus determining the speed of the historic development, which very different from that of the central parts of Europe. The mutual entwining of blood, customs and culture have formed the population, its character the flexibility of its thinking, its great adaption to changes, determinning the vitability of Balkan cultures.

Thracian architecture

“sevtopolis” – This was the capital of Sevt the Third. Approximately by the time of Alexander the Great (4th century BC). The city had a pentagon shape, the palace of the ruler was at one of the angle and served also as a temple, the street planning was in rectangular shape. The city had also a temple of the great gods and sanctuary of Dionis. "kabile" – terraced, ancient Thracian city built near Yambol. On the top of the hill there was an acropolis with big temple of Arthemide. The settlement existed up to 4th century AC

"tumuli" The hill tombs or tumuli were characteristic of the Thracian culture, they can be found in Kazanluk, Sveshtari, Mezek, Strelcha and others
Thracian tomb in the village of Sveshtari. Well-preserved statues, the tomb reflects the fundamental structural principles of Thracian cult ...

 

Roman architecture The typical examples of the roman architecture on Bulgarian lands are the cities of Serdika and Trimontsium (now the biggest cities in Bulgaria – Sofia and Plovdiv)Serdika Serdika was one of the biggest and well-structured cities in the East Roman Provinces. This is the city, which the emperor Constantine the Great calls it “My Rome”. The city had been protected by a fortress wall, remains of which can be seen today. Large pubic ensembles were built in the inner town, new territories to the east were developed. In the centre of the present town is preserved and exhibited the oldest church in Sofia – the St. George Rotunda, assumed to have been a central element in a much larger ensemble. Right: The oldest chusch “St. George” (the rotonda) in front of the Presidency

Trimontsium/Philipopolis During the Roman period (I –IV c. A.C.), Philipopolis became the biggest town (metropolis) in the province of Thrace. The majority of the town’s public buildings have been excavated and thoroughly examined: the theatre, the stadium sitting approximately 30,000 people, the forum, several early Christian basilicas, a synagogue, a number of public baths and aqueducts.

 

Architecture of the First Bulgarian KingdomPliska The first Bulgarian capital Pliska has been situated at about 25km distance from the current town of Shoumen. The protection system comprises three concentric circles – earthen bank, stone wall and interior brick wall. The earthen bank lines the so called exterior city with about 25 hectares surface. Near the exterior city was found and the biggest church – the Big Basilica. The size as well as the planning makes the Basilica a perfect example for early mediaval church. The stone wall fences the interior city with the throne-room, the palace church rich homes. The brick wall formes a rectangular yard holding the palaces of Bulgarian kings. The big palace with dimensions – 52/26.50m has rectangular shape and is built on significantly bigger and older building (the so called palace of Khan Krum). The fragments, column, architectural and decorative elements show that the building had been imposing and impressively decorated.

Veliki Preslav Veliki Preslav was the second capital of the Bulgarian kingdom built by the time of Tsar Simeon, when Bulgaria experienced its “Golden Century” of cultural and political development. On the high hills near the palaces of Veliki Preslav was built the “Golden Church” – a monument of the Christian architecture and an unique example of Bulgarian architecture at all.

An irresistable opportunity – the wine cellar

If you think buying a house in Bulgaria you will be surprised by the possibilities for comfort and good living it gives you. For exmple, most of the houses have their own wine cellar. Commonly used for storage of preserved food, winter supplies, bottled fruits and barrels of wine and Rakia. You can easily remake this basement into a wonderful wine cellar. It will take you about two weeks and a very reasonable price. Bulgaria is wide known of its good wine and it won1t be any problem of filling the cellar with high-quality and varous sorts of wine. Here some things you should about the cellar and the decoration before you start.

A wine cellar can range from a high-tech temperature-controlled room with a sophisticated computer logged inventory system, to a simple wall of wooden bottle racks. If a wine cellar is not included in your floor plan, the first step is to locate some potential space with your builder. A cellar doesn't require a lot of space, just as long as it meets a few basic requirements. First, wine should be stored in a dark, quiet, humid and cool place. Most wine experts suggest that the ideal temperature for wine storage is around 10°. Select a windowless spot without extreme temperature fluctuations and out of direct sunlight, since sunlight can damage wine. Some unique locations include under a staircase, in a closet or try converting a pantry or a portion of the attached garage into a wine cellar. A wine cellar is generally built with thicker walls. Two-by-six construction allows for better insulation, allowing the cellar to remain at a consistent temperature. You'll also need a refrigeration unit, which can be concealed within the walls of the home's framework.

Decoration

Standard fibreglass or rigid foam insulation is normally used in cellar construction; and in some cases, blown-in insulation. For serious wine collectors, it is important to insulate all walls and ceilings.
This maintains the cellar temperature as consistently as possible, especially during the summer and winter. An exterior grade door should be Personal wine collectioninstalled as the cellar door. Weather stripping is attached to all four sides of the doorjamb to help control air temperature. If you prefer the look of a glass door, the heating and cooling contractor will accommodate the less efficient door with a larger cooling unit. Lighting a wine cellar is an integral part of the decor and atmosphere.
Consider placing your cellar lights on dimmer switches and a timer to prevent lights being accidentally left on for long periods. Interior lights create excess heat, which needs to be dissipated with refrigeration; but interior lighting will not hurt wine.

The best choices in flooring are stone or tile, since the damp, cool location can lead to carpet mould growth. You also need to consider the specifics, including how many bottles of wine you need your cellar to hold and whether the space is utilitarian, or if you prefer something more aesthetically pleasing. Most folks prefer the rough and rustic winery look, although every cellar has the potential to be unique. The sophisticated connoisseur or gadget lover will want to include a wine software system to update his or her stock. The electrician should be aware of this required wiring prior to the electrical rough in. We enjoy the rich and wonderful atmosphere that a wine cellar provides the restaurant industry. That sense of sophistication can now come home.

The Eclectic style - delight for the imaginative

If you are lively and imaginative creature, tired of conventional styles restrictions you could chose the eclectic style and give expression of your nature. Somehow I think Bulgaria is the perfect country for experimenting with the eclectic. Being a crossroad on the peninsula and comprising varous cultures and religions, from Ottoman traditional style to lately interpreted Rennaissance styles and of course specific rustic interior, it could be your treasury-house for furniture, accessories and ideas.

The eclectic style seems to be a mix of various styles. No strict rules, no restrictions. The fine point of the style is uniting the different elements, making them an entity – not just different houseshold goods scattered with no sense at all. There are two ways to achieve this goal – first is the omnipresent paint, the second is fabrics. The pallette can vary but it is best to stick to neutrals and beige so that the different things could be easily brought together. If you don`t have matching paints on the furniture you can repaint them or the easiest way cover them with some decent folio. The second essential element is the fabrics – curtains, covers, rugs an so on in neutral or matching tones, although with unlimited patterns and textile designs. While designing your eclectic home keep up to five simple principles: line, color, texture, mass and form.

Sketching ideas

The bedroom

Sofia has abundance of antique shops, which sometimes offer really adorable well-kept pieces of furniture so you can find most of the more peculiar things. To be really eclectic in the bedroom you can combine celtic inspired gothic bed, made of hand forged wrought iron and the same chandelier, art nouveau dresser and paintings and oriental rugs. This is a very peculiar combination so be very careful with the colours.

The living room

Sofia has abundance of antique shops, which sometimes offer really adorable well-kept pieces of furniture so you can find most of the more peculiar things. To be really eclectic in the bedroom you can combine celtic inspired gothic bed, made of hand forged wrought iron and the same chandelier, art nouveau dresser and paintings and oriental rugs. This is a very peculiar combination so be very careful with the colours.

The bedroom

The easiest to convet your living room into a nice cosy place for rest and entertainment is to furnish it into ethnic-eclectic style. How to do that: Go for a more casual look with seating in natural woven wicker or rattan.

• Find ethnic-look lamp tables, possibly carved or hand-painted ones from India or Mexico. Or use Asian-style tables, with their showy hardware.
• Select lamps with exotic bases: woven wicker, porcelain ginger jars, rustic terra-cotta or cast resin elephants, monkeys, tigers or palm trees. Keep shades in the theme with woven wicker, pleated linen, handmade paper and the like.
• Find a coffee table in wicker and iron with a glass top, or use travel-related pieces, such as a steamer trunk (with stamps suggesting faraway destinations) or a stack of leather luggage. Or search out a large kilim-covered ottoman with a relatively flat top (or two smaller ones placed side by side) that you can top with a tray to hold snacks and beverages.
• Look for an area rug in a faux animal print, or choose an Oriental design or a handmade rug - coarsely woven wool or cotton dhurrie from India. Consider sisal, too.

Neo-eclectic style

This Neo-eclectic, Post-Modern style actually consists of Neo-French, Neo-Tudor, Neo-Colonial, Neo-Mediterranean, Neo-Victorian, and Neo-classical Revival (talk about a style wearing thin from overuse). Now we have terms that ring up images whereas Post-Modern or even Neo-eclectic don't. What really has occurred is that architects have taken to designing buildings, then allowing the interior designers, who used to be limited to drapes, furniture, carpet, and accessories, to not only arrange rooms (or areas as we often refer to them now) but also to become exterior designers.