Agushevi Complex
There are not many places, where you can see a combination of an architectural monument and a natural landmark. It is worth visiting this place at the end of Bulgaria, in order to see such a thing. This means that you should go to the Rhodopi mountain, to pass by Smolian and to turn right while you travel along the road to Rudozem, so that you can take the bifurcation road leading to Mogilitsa village. The road goes across the valley Arda in its upper clean part.
There is nothing special about the village Mogilitsa. However, the famous Agushievi resting complex is located there. We must say here that the Bulgarian name of this place means a palace or a big house. In our case, this was the summer residence villa of a rich Turkish feudal lord.
Agushievi complex consist of three buildings (houses), as each of them has its own yard, a water well and everything that might be necessary. The building for women is separated by long internal brick walls in which you will see rotating cupboards, so that if there is some conversation, or when giving something, the woman cannot be seen. In this way, the women were not obliged to wear constantly their veils. The three buildings have a common wall and for this reason,Agushievi complex looks like a real castle. This feeling becomes even stronger, when you see the turret, rising in the south-eastern corner of the brick walls.
Despite all fortifications, Agushievi complex is not macabre. On the contrary, the white color and the paintings on the turret give the palace a fresh and warm look. You will have the same impression, when you go inside-wide verandas, many windows and cozy internal yards. Two colors are dominant at this place-the snow-white color of whitewashed walls and chimneys and the dark brown color of old beams and gates. You will feel here as if you are in a fairy-tale and you see will inside the rooms well-arranged incredible collections of objects made by Bulgarian craftsmen-it is a real treasury of towels, rugs, sheep bells and decoration.
And of course, I have promised to you a natural phenomenon. It is quite near. When you are leaving the village of Mogilitsa in the direction of Smolian town, you will see a stone path left of the road. It has many serpentine turns and it climbs up the steep slope and leads to a small iron terrace. It is the entrance to Uhlovitsa Cave. Despite the fact that it is not well-known, it is as beautiful as such famous caves like the caves Ledenika and Snejanka. Really, there is a lot of iron inside this cave (stairs, balustrades), but regardless of that the view is very beautiful. The tourist guide may crack a joke that this place is not for weak-hearted people: after the steep climbing, you will go down into the underground kingdom of bats.
