Kalofer
| Kalofer | |
|---|---|
 Kalofer
|
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| Coordinates: 42°37′N 24°59′E / 42.617°N 24.983°ECoordinates: 42°37′N 24°59′E / 42.617°N 24.983°E | |
| Country | Bulgaria |
|
Provinces (Oblast) |
Plovdiv |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Rumen Stoyanov |
| Elevation | 666 m (2,185 ft) |
| Population (13.09.2005) | |
| • Total | 3,631 |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
| Postal Code | 4370 |
| Area code(s) | 03133 |
Kalòfer (Bulgarian: Калофер) is a town in central Bulgaria, located on the banks of the Tundzha between the Balkan Mountains to the north and the Sredna Gora to the south. Kalofer is part of Plovdiv Province and the Karlovo municipality. It is best known as the birthplace of Bulgarian poet and revolutionary Hristo Botev.
The modern settlement of Kalofer emerged in the 16th century, managing to preserve its Bulgarian character in the Ottoman Empire and to develop as a centre of craftsmanship, primarily cord production. The Kalofer monastery has been in operation since 1640 and the convent since 1700. During the Bulgarian National Revival the town became a centre of revolutionary activity, being the birthplace of figures such as Hristo Botev, Exarch Joseph, Dimitar Panichkov, Nikola Ivanov.
Kalofer is located in the southern outskirts of Stara Planina. It is only 17 kilometers away from Karlovo, 22 km away from Sopot, 56 km away from Plovdiv, 222 km away from Burgas, 300 km away from Varna and 164 km from the capital of Bulgaria Sofia.
Kalofer was founded in the 16th century (1533). From the very beginning it enjoyed privileges as a city, which allowed it to preserve its typical Bulgarian character. In the time when traditional customs were booming about 1200 devices for producing traditional colored Bulgarian wollen threads (gaitan) were operating in the town. Traditional Bulgarian holidays have always been observed in Kalofer. The town has been burnt down at least three times. Due to forestation the marks from the damage has been covered, but they can still be found here and there. With the passage of time, residents of Kalofer have created their own methods of survival and have cultivated a strength of character, which has remained their typical personality trait until today. Each time when the town was burnt, the people of Kalofer built it all over again, carrying stones from their own farming land, working through the night. Usually reconstruction activities started with re-building the church or the monastery.
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Wikipedia