Pamporovo Resort Winter 2011/2012

dMay be, Momchilovtsi is the biggest Rhodopi village-its population is more than 1700 people. It is situated in the middle of the Rhodopi mountain, approximately 15 kilometers away from Smolian town and only a few kilometers away from Pamporovo resort. Legends say that it was named after the local hero Momchil, who helped local people and protected local population during the time of Ottoman rule. Momchilova fortress is located in the vicinity of the nearby village Gradut and it is one of the most interesting landmarks in the region. Recently, the fortress was completely renovated and adapted to tourists and now you can go there along the tourist path, or using the improved infrastructure. You will see in the village Gradut a small archeological collection of findings obtained as a result of the archeological researches in the fortress. The beautiful nature, historical landmarks and most of all the desire of local people have turned Momchilovtsi into one of the villages, having the big tourist capacity in the Rhodopi mountain. Nearly every house here is visited by guests and nearly every housewife may cook the most delicious Rhodopi meals for a whole company of people. The possibilities for accommodation vary a lot here and you can rent a room or a whole house. There are many hotels here and even buildings, offering vacation apartments on rent. The village is quite big and lively and its main street meanders like a spiral along the steep slope, as authentic Rhodopi houses are located on both sides and these houses are made of ashlar stone. Summertime, you will be surprised by the heavy traffic here. The people, driving their vehicles, create pleasant bustle along the rural streets. The rural square is one of the most pleasant surprises, where you will see two willows, throwing motley shadow over the clean central square. The coffee-house, visited by local people and tourists, is the center of the local community and it is surrounded by the well-maintained buildings of the post office, municipality and of reading hall. You must not be surprised by the fact, that Momchilovtsi is one of the few Bulgarian villages, which have a pharmacy, a dentist’s office and a functioning ATM! Having in mind these and other facts, visitors may arrive at the conclusion, that the village and its inhabitants are very hospitable and want tourists to feel comfortable here. The symbol of Momchilovtsi, which you will see when entering the village, is clear evidence for the hospitality of local people-a young smiling woman, holding a tray on which there is bread and salt. The road, leading from the road bifurcation to the village, is new without any hole and this also proves the desire of local people to attract more tourists to their village. The area around Momchilovtsi village is full of ecological paths, leading to different beauty spots. We must mention here the localities Momina voda, Rojen and Haidushki poliani. One of the routes leads to the observatory at the mountain peak Rojen. The nature around the village gives splendid possibilities for walking tours and strolls, rock climbing, mountain biking and wintertime the nearby resort Pamporovo, only 7 kilometers away from the village, will satisfy the needs of all skiers and snowboard skaters, who are looking for adventures. The proximity of Smolian town gives you an opportunity to lose contact with the city way of life. According to local people, you can make the most beautiful panoramic photo of the village from the place of the metal cross, standing out on one of the hills. To our great regret, we did not find a public road to this place and only enthusiasm and good physical shape can take to the placed of the cross.

Geography

Momchilovtsi village is located in one of the valleys of the Middle Rhodopi region, as one of the paths southwards leads to the natural spring Hubcha. It borders to the north on the big watershed ridges Rojen, Karmanitsa, Kaluchborun, Momina voda and Imaret dere.

History

The archeological findings clearly prove that the village and its vicinity have been inhabited by Thracian people since the end of the Bronze Age (1000 years B.C.). The coins, ceramics and tools from that time are kept at the local museum. There are no authentic documentary pieces of evidence for the period, when the Rhodopi mountain was conquered by the Ottomans and the legends and folk takes mention the half-mythical names of Enihan baba, Saru baba and others. Muslim people from Asia Minor came to live in the village after the Ottoman invasion-these were Turkic animal-breeders and shepherds, who were looking for better pastures for their flocks of sheep. During 18-19 century, the lands of these Turkic people were gradually purchased by the local Bulgarian population. During year 1836, a church was built in the village. During the next few years, the few Bulgarian Muslims living in Momchilovtsi (then named Gorno Derekiyo) left the village. In July, year 1883, the Czech professors-the painter Ivan Murkvichka and the historian Vaclav Dobruski-teachers at the high school in Plovdiv City, together with their schoolboy Vassil Dechov from Chepelare town visited the village for scientific purposes. The villagers met the guests very well and on the other day on Sunday, the guests were invited to a wedding. Dobruski asked one of the old people: “Do Bulgarian Muslims live in your village?”. All people present answered unanimously, that Bulgarian Muslims lived in the village in the past, but left it after the construction of the church. Here is what Dobruski remembers from the conversation with the old people in Gorno Derekiyo: „I heard that the Bulgarian Muslims here were envious of their Bulgarian neighbors due to the existence of painted and decorated churches. When the Bulgarians from Derekiyo village built a new church, the Bulgarian Muslims became sad that they had no mosque and went to live in another village, whose inhabitants were only Muslims. Besides that, the Bulgarian Muslims here have preserved their old Bulgarian names-Popovtsi, Stoyanovtsi and others and remember their blood relationship with Bulgarian people. The Bulgarian Muslims know that they forefathers were Christian people, but they do not want to know about their Bulgarian origin, no matter that they speak perfect Bulgarian. They speak evil of Turkish language. They do not know Turkish at all, except a few common sentences and a few numerals and for this reason they can not learn well even one Muslim prayer.” Till year 1913, the border between Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire was along the ridge of Rojen area of the Rhodopi mountain, only 7-8 kilometers north of Momchilovtsi, as the village was in Ottoman lands at that time. On 10.04.1878, Gorno Derekiyo was captured by Muslim rebels. On 20 May Russian troops pushed the Muslim rebels away from the village. During the summer of year 1878, the constant threat for Christain villages compelled the population on both sides of the new border to look for the help of military commander Petko voivoda. On 18 August, there was a battle with a group of Muslim rebels at Eshekulak and on 30 August at the mountain peak Momina voda. The appearance of the military commander Petko voivoda gave courage to the frightened population and made local bandits desist from atrocities and crimes against local peaceful population. The Berlin congress during the summer of year 1878 confirmed the remaining of the village within Ottoman Turkey’s borders. The new border was along the watershed, which since ancient times has been the border between the geographical areas Rupchos and Ahu Chelebi. In November, year 1878, a committee determined the border, as it put border pickets. Such border pickets were also put in the middle of the land, belonging to the village of Gorno Derekiyo. Since the Balkan war, Momchilovtsi village has always been within the borders of Bulgaria. During year 1934, at the request of the Bulgarian writer and public figure Vassil Dechov, the village was renamed into Momchilovtsi “in order to perpetuate the name of the local hero Momchil for the sake of the next generations”.

Cultural and natural landmarks

There are 26 chapels in the vicinity of Momchilovtsi. There is a memorial slab near the chapel “saint Iliya” dedicated to two German pilots, who died here on their way to Greece in year 1941.