The Batak Historical Museum was established in 1956 by Decision No. 56 of April 24, 1956 of the IC of the District People's Council - Peshtera.
It was opened to visitors on May 17, 1956, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the April Uprising.
The museum has an official name, seal, seat and address: Batak, Osvobozhdenie Square, 3.
Batak Historical Museum uses, manages and manages the building of IM - Batak, Balinova house - ethnographic exposition and Sharova house - museum gallery and library free of charge.
Hall 1
The exposition is located on an area of about 400 square meters.
Exhibition - rich photographic and documentary material, original exhibits from antiquity, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance era, with an emphasis on the April Uprising of 1876.
The main idea of the exposition is to present the origin of the settlement, its historical development, the human presence on the territory of the municipality from the deepest antiquity until the inclusion of the area in the limits of the Ottoman Empire and its subsequent development under its authority.
The periods, which are relatively poor in terms of visual material, but based on the collective's recent research and deductive reconstructions, are illustrated with objects owned by IM Batak, copies of photographs and facsimiles of documents.
The exhibition in Hall 1 tentatively covers two periods of the history of the Western Rhodopes.
Human presence on the territory of Batak municipality from the deepest antiquity until the inclusion of the area in the limits of the Ottoman Empire.
Finds and artefacts found on the territory of the Batak municipality are exhibited, while at the same time information is presented about the eras of Prehistory, the habitat of the Thracian tribes, the Roman presence in the region, the spread of Christianity, the Bulgarian medieval state and the Ottoman conquest.
Through the exhibition, the life of the oldest inhabitants of the Western Rhodopes, for whom we have evidence even from the Paleolithic era, is traced. The territory of today's Batak municipality, as a whole, has been inhabited since the deepest antiquity, with no noticeable break in chronological terms.
The archaeological heritage related to the faith and customs of the inhabitants of Batashka Mountain covers different historical periods. To date, 7 Thracian sanctuaries, 36 necropolises (dating from the 1st century to the 14th century) and 21 churches - late antique and medieval - have been registered on the territory of Batak municipality.
There are documents and artifacts related to the origin of the settlement and its development during these centuries, the earliest history of Batak - its settlement and demographic development, respectively - evidence of the development of faith and customs in the ethnically Bulgarian, Christian settlement during the 16th century - XIX century.
The exposition helps to understand some changes that occurred in the second half of the 16th century in the settlement network of Northern Thrace, which did not pass by the northern slopes of the Rhodopes. Changes that resulted from the desire of the Ottoman authorities to increase security for the movement of passengers, couriers and caravans by granting Derbenji status and privileges to those Christians who settled in certain dangerous places along junction roads.
The formation of Batak as a Derbenji settlement is attested in the Timar register of 1570, in which Batak is mentioned for the first time under the name Novasil with another name Kyafir deresi, which can be interpreted as Novasel with another name Nevernishko dere - a settlement that arose in the great land of the Cave.
The visitor will have the opportunity to learn about the economic prosperity of Batachani in the 19th century, which was accompanied by political, national and spiritual growth.
With the help of models and reconstructions, one gets an idea of the economic prosperity of the region, which is due to the presence of large quantities of timber and the possibilities for its processing through the construction of many charks (bullfighting houses).
It was logging and the production of timber for the large settlements along the Maritsa river valley that became the main livelihood of Batachani in the 19th century. The economic prosperity of Batachani in the 19th century was accompanied by political, national and spiritual growth. Since ancient times, Batak has been governed by its own municipality, headed by a Batak mayor. Attempts to impose Muslim mayors on him failed.
The ecclesiastical authority itself considered itself independent long before the solution of the Bulgarian ecclesiastical question. The construction of the "Holy Sunday" church in Bata in 1813 was far earlier than the Sultan's reforms, which gave certain religious freedoms to the Christian population in the Empire.
In it, services are always held in Bulgarian, not in Greek.
The 19th century is the strongest period of the city, a period relatively more closely studied in relation to studies of the revival of the nation, church struggles and struggles for national liberation.
The place of Batak in the general picture of the country's development during this period is reflected.
A solid place is given to the significance of the events of April-May 1876 for the change in world public opinion towards the Bulgarian question.
The main place in the exposition covers the period of Batak preparation and participation in the April Uprising of 1876.
On display are various authentic firearms and melee weapon systems used during the insurgency, as well as personal belongings and paraphernalia of prominent Batak insurgents.
The memorial wall with the names of those who died in Batak - Hall-1 in the museum building, is part of the apotheosis of this theme and a transition to their place of worship - the Church of Saint Nedelya.
The exposition in Hall-1 also shows the restoration of Batak, which began after 1878. The core of the post-liberation population in Batak was about 1,200 Batakians who escaped the mass massacres. They preserve all the peculiarities of life, livelihood and cultural national traditions of the renaissance Batak. And their human spirit and will with which they raised their native village from the ashes deserves respect.
Extremely interesting for visitors is the interactive audio-visual exposition on the second floor, which recreates in an exciting way several moments of the life of an ordinary Bata family - before the beginning of the uprising, during the outbreak of the uprising and after the beginning of the uprising.
The bells of the settlement announce the moment of the outbreak of the uprising.
The youth prepare their weapons ready for action.
Minutes later everything is on fire!
Hall 2
The exhibition in Hall 2 emphasizes the struggles against fascism and Nazism. A memorial wall was built with the names of Batachians killed in the wars in the first half of the 20th century.
In the years of the Second World War (1939-1945), totalitarian and dictatorial regimes were established almost throughout Europe. Bulgaria is no exception to this, although the regime here has some local specifics. But not a single chauvinist or fascist organization was created in Batak. On the contrary, Batak also became the center of armed resistance against the regime through the partisan unit "Anton Ivanov", from which there are preserved authentic items in the museum.
Here, too, the visitor can get acquainted with the accelerated socio-economic and cultural development of Batak in the 50s and 60s of the 20th century. During this time, the way for the flourishing of the economy in the entire municipality was opened.
Industrial enterprises are reconstructed and expanded, new ones are built, agriculture is cooperated. In the forestry farms, a technique is introduced that eases the work of forest workers. And with the construction of the Batak hydropower road /1953 – 1959/, the economy and appearance of Batak changed radically.
The crypt
Crypt (from Greek κρύπτη: secret place, cache) is a term in sacred (church) architecture.
In the Historical Museum - Batak, the crypt is an underground floor and is designed as a place of remembrance for the dead residents of Batak in the anti-fascist resistance 1941-1944.
How to get to Batak City?
Batak is a city in southern Bulgaria. It is located in the Pazardzhik region and is near the town of Peshtera.
The city is the administrative center of Batak Municipality.
Batak is located in the middle of the Western Rhodope Mountains, at an altitude of 1036 meters above sea level in the valley of the Stara Reka river along its two banks.
Batak stands for:
147 kilometers (about 2 hours and 20 minutes by car) from the capital
58 kilometers (about 1 hour and 09 minutes by car) from the city of Plovdiv
416 kilometers (about 5 hours and 03 minutes by car) from the city of Varna
309 kilometers (about 3 hours and 17 minutes by car) from the city of Burgas
How to get to Batak History Museum?
Batak Historical Museum is located in the city center at Osvobozhdenie Square, 3.
What can be visited nearby?
Just less than 2 kilometers northwest of the town of Batak (less than 4 minutes by car) is the Batak Dam and Tsigov Chark resort area.
Just 24 kilometers southwest of the city of Batak (less than 30 minutes by car) is the Golyam Beglik Dam.
Just 33 kilometers south of the town of Batak (less than 42 minutes by car) is the Shiroka Polyana Dam.
Just 42 kilometers south of the city of Batak (less than 55 minutes by car) is a panoramic site overlooking the Dospat Dam.
Just 48 kilometers south of the city of Batak (less than 1 hour and 2 minutes by car) is the Dospat Dam.
Just 15 kilometers west of the town of Batak (less than 18 minutes by car) is the town of Rakitovo, where you can explore the old clock tower.
Only 8 kilometers north of Rakitovo (about 14 minutes by car) is the village of Dorkovo, where you can see the magnificent church "St. Ilia".
Near Dorkovo there is a unique site, representing a gathering of bones from over 30 species of animals in one place - Pliocene Park.
Near the village are the ancient ruins of the "Tsepina" fortress.
Just 27 kilometers west of Batak (about 33 minutes by car) lies the spa capital of the Balkans – Velingrad – blessed and eternal.
Velingrad is a wonderfully beautiful Bulgarian city located in the Chepin Valley in the Western Rhodopes. It was formed in 1948 by the merger of the villages of Ladzhene, Kamenitsa and Chepino.
Velingrad is one of the most cloudless cities in Bulgaria.
Velingrad's real wealth is its water resources - rivers, karst and mineral springs - they are plentiful.
The Velingrad geothermal field is the largest in southern Bulgaria. The mineral springs (more than 80 in number), the mild climate and the beautiful nature are the greatest wealth of the city. Velingrad is one of the largest balneological resorts in Bulgaria and it is no coincidence that it is known as the spa capital of the Balkans.
In Velingrad, you can take a leisurely walk through the wonderfully beautiful Pine Park.
You can enjoy a magnificent walk to the panoramic platform "The Rocks" above Velingrad, from where a wonderful view of the entire area is revealed.
The place is full of beauty and tranquility!
The "Rocks" panoramic platform above Velingrad is a special place where you will find solitude with nature.
Just 15 kilometers northeast of the town of Batak (about 25 minutes by car) is the starting point of the trail leading to Snow White Cave.
Just 15 kilometers north-east of Batak is the town of Peshtera.
Peshtera is another beautiful Bulgarian city with an extremely combative past and I highly recommend a walk here. I will tell you how to get to the panoramic platform above the city, from where a wonderful view of the entire Cave is revealed!
In Peshtera you can visit the fortress "Peristera".
The old sakhat in Peshtera is a place that has preserved a rich history and I heartily advise you to visit it.
Just about 7 kilometers east of Peshtera (about 11 minutes by car) you will find struggling Bratsigovo.
During your stay in Bratsigovo, I recommend you to visit the magnificent church "St. John the Forerunner" and the tallest Orthodox bell tower on the Balkan Peninsula, which is located in the church yard.
Near the church, you will find the small square "Sinjirli Well", shaped and built around the well, where on April 21, 1876, Vasil Petleshkov read the Invocation, the bloody letter and announced the uprising.
Erected in 1976 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the great events of the April Epic, the "Apriltsi" Memorial Park in the city of Bratsigovo is a cultural monument of local importance and I invite you to take the time to explore it.
People's community center "Vasil Petleshkov - 1874" is located in the center of the city.
In addition to its heroic past, Bratsigovo is also famous for its incredible rose plantations, which smell divine in the month of May.
Between the village of Rozovo and Bratsigovo, you will find a wonderful roadside rest area with an exceptional panoramic view of the city.
Just 5 kilometers south of Bratsigovo (about 9 minutes by car) you will find the charming, colorful village of Rozovo, next to which is the Chorbanovo dam.
Continuing along the road, you will find the beautiful and peaceful resort of Rozovski vriz.
Several tourist routes start from Rozovski vriz resort, one of which will take you to Garvanova skala.
Continuing from the village of Rozovo on the road to the village of Ravnogor, which is 16 kilometers south of Bratsigovo (about 27 minutes by car), you will enjoy wonderful views, centuries-old forests and fabulous nature.
Several picturesque tourist routes start from the village of Ravnogor, one of which is the path to Bekovi skali.
The Back Rocks route is often combined with the Red Rock trail.
Only 20 kilometers east of Bratsigovo (about 25 minutes by car) is the village of Ustina.
In Ustina, take the Ustina Ecopath to Ustina Waterfall.
Just 23 kilometers east of Bratsigovo (about 31 minutes by car) you will find charming Peruštitsa.
About 2 kilometers before the town is the Red Church, which I invite you to visit.
In Peruštitsa you can explore the Renaissance (Danovo) School.
Next to the school building is the church "St. Archangel Michael".
On a hill southeast of the city rises a monument to the three generations, to which I recommend you take a walk.
Only 12 kilometers northeast of Peruštitsa (about 15 minutes by car) is the village of Parvenets and a beautiful artificial waterfall, which I suggest you visit.
About 15 kilometers south of the village of Hrabrino (about 24 minutes by car) is the charming Sitovski waterfall.
About 3 kilometers east of the village of Hrabrino (about 6 minutes by car) is the village of Izvor, from where the path to Momini skali starts, which I advise you to take.
Only 10 kilometers north of the town of Peruštitsa (about 14 minutes by car) is the town of Stamboliyski, where I highly recommend you to visit the Stamboliyski Eco Park.
Only 7 kilometers north of the town of Peshtera (about 10 minutes by car) is the village of Radilovo.
In Radilovo, I recommend you to visit the village museum, which preserves its rich history.
People of Radilovo closely guard the memory of Lady Emily Strangford – a symbol of humanity, charity, kindness, generosity and love for Bulgarians. A rich exposition dedicated to the life and work of Lady Emily Strangford is arranged in the museum of Radilovo.
Only about 14 kilometers north of Radilovo (about 20 minutes by car) is the city of Pazardzhik, where you will find the garden of the world and the eternal flame of peace.
The Garden of the World and the Eternal Flame of Peace is located next to Svoboda Park-Island in the city of Pazardzhik.
Just 16 kilometers east of the village of Radilovo (about 18 minutes by car) you will find the village of Patalenitsa.
In the village of Patalenitsa, I recommend you to visit the pearl of Patalenica - the buried church "Saint Dimitar".
Near the village stands the wonderful Batkun spiritual monastery "St. St. Peter and Paul", where you will find majestic tranquility and beauty.
In spring, Patalen's phenomenally beautiful lavender fields exude charm and charm against the backdrop of the majestic Rhodopes.
И като за финал, мили мои приятели,
не бива да пропускате да разгледате
специалния албум с фото моменти –
открити, изживени, заснети и споделени с вас!