The project

I am an avid traveler, hobby archaeologist and historian and a photographer. I love vising new places and I love telling the stories that go hand in hand with the shots. For years, I've been traveling around the Balkans, the area where I was born and live - to capture the amazing places which few people abroad have seen.

That's how the Culture Crossroads project was born.

For millennia, the Balkan area has been Europe’s highway. This has resulted in layering of cultures. Each passing tribe left its mark on the land and its inhabitants. There the beauty of nature blends with the magnificence of history.

Within this work, intend to explore the cultural and historical heritage of my homeland and show it to both locals and foreigners. The project will also focus on natural wonders, as well as traditional food. I will also look for parallels with the other Balkan countries, since culture is beyond the tangible.

For project purposes, I have devised six categories, intending to show the different aspects of Bulgaria (and later on, other Balkan countries):

• Remember the Past (historical sites and famous/ not-so-famous sights)

With 1300 years of existence under the same name, Bulgaria is rich in historical places worth visiting – prehistoric monuments; ancient Roman and Greek towns and medieval fortresses.

Thracian tomb at Alexandrovo village, Bulgaria.
It's famous for it ornate frescoes depicting hunting scenes.

Thracian temple in Starosel village, central Bulgaria.

 It dates back to the 5^th century BC and still stands today. Unlike the tomb at Alexandrovo, this one was first the tomb of a king and then, the place of worship for this ruler (the archaeological term for that is Heroon). This temple is 5 meters in diameter BUT in terms of Thracian buildings it's huge and improsing. You can compare the height of the building to the woman on the left.

Lato Doric town, Crete, Greece.

Crete island may be famous for the Minoans but they were not the only ones who came to this blessed land. The Doric tribes were invaders from the Middle East who spoke the ancestor of Greek and in the eyes of the Minoans were uncultured and barbaric. The Doric tribes were warlike and savage, even according to the equally warlike Myceneans of the mainland. Lato is one of the main settlements of Dorric tribes in Crete. Unlike palaces such as Knossos or Festos where you can see multistory buildings and wide streets, here the streets are often winding and narrow, even consisting of stairs only and the houses are small and cluttered. 

This place is known as ‘the flooded church’ – it’s a 19^th century Orthodox church that was flooded in 1964 when the totalitarian regime, despite the pleas of the locals, decided to build a dam. For several months during the year, the church gets flooded. In summer, though, (the picture is taken in mid-July), the church stands on dry land.

• Experience the Present (traditional food and drinks, street photography of contemporary people)

Cuisine is an essential part of any culture and no picture of a country will be complete without it. Also, the streets of major towns can be quite colorful.

Interesting street pics can be found anywhere.
This one is from the streets of Bucharest. I have no idea if the person was homeless or not.

Tarator - cold summer Bulgarian soup.

Nothing will keep you cool during a hot summer day better than this mixture of yogurt, garlic, dill and cucumbers. Recipes may vary but the taste is always great. Unfortunately few foreigners dare to try it :) 

In Greece, embarking a ship is equal to getting the bus from A to B. People don't make a fuss of it. To us, mainland people this seems a bit strange - after all - you will be at sea for several hours, no hard and dry land, you from one port to another (which is quite interesting) BUT Greek people tend to use the time to chat or read (as this lady on the pic) or do some work using the ship WiFi. 

The Mediterranean diet is invented, well - in the Mediterranean :)
So Greece is the perfect place to try out something like this - octopus salad, or as the animal is called in Greek - htapodi.

• Be Part of Culture (historical reenactments, holidays, celebrations and customs)

Culture in general accumulates a lot of beliefs and traditions. That of Bulgaria combines the pagan past with the 500 years of Ottoman domination and the present day, embracing new traditions (such as St. Valentine’s Day).

Martenitsa amulets - as these in the pic are traditional for Bulgaria. On the 1st of March each person in Bulgaria (no matter the religion, ethnicity or original country of birth) wears one of these. It is said that they drive disease away and protect the wearer from evil eyes.

• See Nature (magical places and natural phenomena)

Bulgaria is a beautiful country, full of amazing landscapes and natural phenomena.

A legend says that when God had to give land to each nation, the Bulgarians were late because they had so much work to do. When they arrived, all the land had been already distributed and God took a bit of land from each country. Thus Bulgaria is small in territory, but within the narrow space between its boundaries you can see anything – from a jungle to desert, alpine landscapes and sandy beaches.

Belogradchik rocks, Bulgaria.

The unique stone formations captivate the eye at any time of the day. 

Giola beach, Thassos, Greece

This natural pool stands at one end of the island - amazing to photograph and some say - even better for a swim.

Kapinovski waterfall, Bulgaria

Relatively easy to access, this waterfall is marvelous at any time of the year :) 

• Admire Architecture (various architectural styles, created through the centuries).

Peles palace, Romania

This palace is taken out of a fairy tale - amazing architecture, ornate furniture - no expense spared.
This is the spiral staircase that leads from floor two to floor three of the palace.

Frangokastello fortress, Crete, Greece

This is a haunted place - apart from the imposing Venetian architecture, this fort, maybe one of the biggest on the island, is famous for its ghosts - two hundred years ago, a group of Cretan men were slaughtered during an uprising. The locals were forbidden to bury the dead so the bodies were left to rot in the place. Since then, each year at the end of May and the beginning of June these ghosts come back to the place. They can be seen and are even photographed as shadows coming out of the fortress at sunrise and disappearing into the sea.

Buzludzha monument, Bulgaria
This is also a haunted place - it was erected in 1981 as the headquarters of the Bulgarian communist party. At that time this monument was worth more than 16 million Bulgarian leva (around 8 million euro) but in the 1990s it was left to decay. It looks like a UFO and stands as a symbol of stupidity.

• Feel the Religion (old and new places of worship).

Bulgaria is known as a country tolerant to any religion, as long as it is peaceful. Because of that, you can see various places of worship, scattered around the country – from prehistoric sun sanctuaries and Thracian temples through medieval churches, monasteries and mosques to synagogues and cathedrals.

Kromlech Thracian sanctuary - Bulgaria

This place is famous with the name - the Bulgarian Stonehenge - as you can see, the circular standing stones do resemble the famous landmark. No one knows what it was used for because the Thracians didn't leave any written records but there is a certain feeling about this place that adds to the mysticism. 

Rila monastery, Bulgaria

This is maybe the holiest of monasteries in Bulgaria. It was founded by Saint John of Rila in the 10th century and since then it has always been there to comfort and protect stray souls. Rila monastery today houses the holy relics of its founder and ia the biggest monastery on the Balkan peninsula.

Learn about these and many more in the course of the project.