Bozhentsi ( bg, Боженци ; also variously transliterated as ''Bozhenci, Bojenci, Bojenzi, Boženci, Bojentsi, Bojentzi, Bozhentzi'', etc.), officially but not commonly Bozhentsite (Боженците), is a village and architectural reserve in

Gabrovo Gabrovo ( bg, Габрово ) is a town in central northern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Gabrovo Province. It is situated at the foot of the central Balkan Mountains, in the valley of the Yantra River, and is known as an internationa ...

municipality,

Gabrovo Province Gabrovo Province ( bg, Област Габрово (Oblast Gabrovo), former name Gabrovo okrug) is a small province lying at the geographical centre of Bulgaria. It is named after its main town - Gabrovo. In 2009 the total population of the are ...

, in central northern

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

. The village lies in the middle part of the

Balkan Mountains The Balkan mountain range (, , known locally also as Stara planina) is a mountain range in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula in Southeastern Europe. The range is conventionally taken to begin at the peak of Vrashka Chuka on the border betw ...

, 15 km east of Gabrovo and just north of the

Shipka Pass Shipka Pass ( bg, Шипченски проход, ) (el. 1150 m./3820 ft.) is a scenic mountain pass through the Balkan Mountains in Bulgaria. It marks the border between Stara Zagora province and Gabrovo province. The pass connects the ...

. It is noted for its well-preserved

Bulgarian National Revival The Bulgarian National Revival ( bg, Българско национално възраждане, ''Balgarsko natsionalno vazrazhdane'' or simply: Възраждане, ''Vazrazhdane'', and tr, Bulgar ulus canlanması) sometimes called the Bu ...

architecture and history, and is thus a well-known tourist destination in the area. Bozhentsi was established after the incursion of

Ottoman Turks The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922). Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...

Veliko Tarnovo Veliko Tarnovo ( bg, Велико Търново, Veliko Tărnovo, ; "Great Tarnovo") is a town in north central Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Veliko Tarnovo Province. Often referred as the "''City of the Tsars''", Veliko Tarnovo ...

, the former capital of the

Second Bulgarian Empire The Second Bulgarian Empire (; ) was a medieval Bulgarians, Bulgarian state that existed between 1185 and 1396. A successor to the First Bulgarian Empire, it reached the peak of its power under Tsars Kaloyan of Bulgaria, Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II ...

, in the 16th century. Many residents of the capital then fled to settle in remote and secure parts of the mountains. According to the legend, among them was the young female noble (''

bolyarka Bolyarka is a Bulgarian beer brand ( bg, Болярка) from the city of Veliko Tarnovo. The company was founded in 1892 by the HadjiSlavchevi brothers, five years after the first brewery in Tarnovo was founded in 1887 by the German Artur Wilser. ...

'') Bozhana; she chose to hide in the area where the village is today and became its

namesake A namesake is a person, geographic location, or other entity bearing the name of another. History The word is first attested around 1635, and probably comes from the phrase "for one's name's sake", which originates in English Bible translations ...

. The noble's sons engaged in trade and the village gradually grew to become an important trade junction during the National Revival towards the middle of the 18th century. The main production consisted of leather, wool, beeswax and honey. The village of Bozhentsi was proclaimed an architectural and historical reserve in 1964 and is part of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

's cultural monuments. The National Revival architecture has been preserved in Bozhentsi due to this, and there is a ban on the construction of any buildings that do not fit with the village's style. As the settlers during the Ottoman rule were mostly wealthy people, many of the houses have two storeys, the first being used as a cattle-shed and the second being inhabited by the owners. Characteristic features of the Bozhentsi architecture are the verandas, the stone-plate roofs, the corner fireplaces and the ceiling woodcarvings. The pavement of the streets in the village is only cobblestone. The Prophet Elijah basilica, featuring a nave and two aisles, is a remarkable example of the National Revival style. Domes can be seen hidden under the ceiling, as well as massive stone walls and the typical Bozhentsi arches. The church was erected in 1835, and the village's influential residents were allowed to construct a belfry, which was usually strictly forbidden by the Ottoman authorities. The former class school was constructed in 1872 and was situated in an imposing building near the entrance to the village. It is today a gallery and its first storey would once accommodate a hall and a library, with the classrooms being located on the second storey. A

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

bridge lies east of the village and a forest path leading to

Tryavna Tryavna ( bg, Трявна ) is a town in central Bulgaria, situated in the northern slopes of the Balkan range, on the Tryavna river valley, near Gabrovo. It is famous for its textile industry and typical National Revival architecture, featuring ...

begins on the other side.

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