Property for sale in Arbanasi - One of the most visited tourist destinations in Bulgaria

Arbanasi, Arbanassi, Arbanaci, Арбанаси

Arbanasi has derived its name from the Albanian word Arbanas, which means "worker of the land". The Turkish used the term "arnavut" for Albanians and Macedonians of whom many settled in this part of Bulgaria after Bulgarian boyars came from the westernmost regions of the Second Bulgarian Empire in the 13th century. Now it’s famed as the Arbanasi Architectural Reserve, with the houses in Arbanasi being mainly of the revival style and new houses and properties in Arbanasi being strictly regulated and particularly the hotels in Arbanasi, since they clearly have an impact on spatial planning and scale of the architectural reserve. The village of Arbanasi is located on a high plateau at an average height above sea level of 400 metres.

Suleiman the Magnificent, Ottoman Sultan, mentioned Arbanasi in 1538 by writing that the villages main activities were animal husbandry and commercial trading some of this trading included silk thread and local residents bred silkworms. Nowadays you won’t find silkworms or thread for sale but many traditional garments, antiques and local art and craft wares share the pavements with Arbanasi hotel frontages.

During the 17th century, Arbanasi became renowned as a centre of trade and commerce. Merchants from Arbanasi were prominent and sold and exchanged wares throughout the Turkish Empire. The houses in Arbanasi of these well to do merchants were in effect manor houses verging on small castles appearing menacing from the outside with no balconies or terraces, as is the architectural signature of revival style Arbanasi houses, they had bars on the windows and impenetrable armoured entrance ways. However, once inside they were lavish and impressed their owners guests decorated with exceptionally ornate woodcarvings and detailed joinery with plastered mouldings adorning walls of these houses in Arbanasi. Another characteristic of the houses in Arbanasi was due to their design and construction the occupants could remain inside for long periods of time only venturing out into the inner courtyard to collect water from the well.

In the early 18th century Arbanasi was looted and raised to the ground by fire at the hands of mercenaries hired by the Ottoman Empire after this and an epidemic of cholera, residents were forced to move on and Arbanasi went through its darkest period with houses losing their timber roofs and interiors and thus just becoming plots in Arbanasi waiting for redevelopment.

After the early 19th century Arbanasi gradually started to resemble what can be seen today. New settlers arrived from the Greek and Tryavna Balkan regions bringing local vernacular skill sets being mingled with the dominant Tarnovo revival, which turned desolate plots in Arbanasi into revival period architectural masterpieces which can still be seen in this architectural reserve, such as the Konstantzalieva house amongst 80 or so unique houses in Arbanasi others are the Hadji-ilieva, Hadji-kostova, Chamurova, Kandilarova and Lecheva houses in Arbanasi.

Places of interest include a visit to the Konstantsaliev House, The Birth of Christ Church, and The Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel. The Birth of Christ Church is amongst the oldest of properties in Arbanasi and the narthex has murals dating from 1597 including murals of "The Last Judgment" and "The Birth of Christ". Also The Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel Church is an architectural and cultural monument of Bulgaria declared so in a state gazette in 1978, murals in this church include "The Descent into Hell" and a different rendition of "The Birth of Christ". Saint Dimiter Church is another architectural and cultural monument located in the centre and surrounded by houses in Arbanasi, it can be difficult to spot immediately. The church dates back to the 16th century giving it the title of being the oldest surviving property in Arbanasi, being completed in 1621. The Saint George Church and is a massive stone structure being 21 x 12 metres dating back from the end of the 17th century and archeological digs have revealed that an earlier cathedral once existed here dating from the 16th century. The Saint Atanas Church was built during the 1630s and the icons in this church were completed in 1667. The Arbanasi Monastery - St. Virgin Mary is located on the outskirts of the village, off the road to Gorna Oryahovitsa. The convent contains the miraculous icon of the Weeping Virgin, or 3 armed virgin! According to legend after destruction of Tsarevets by the Ottomans in 1396 the nuns left the convent and buried the icons in the grounds, years later a shepherd heard weeping from a plot in Arbanasi and discovered the icon returning it to the monastery. There is a yearly festival on August 15 (the Day of the Virgin) and pilgrims travel and visit this place of worship. In The Saint Nikola Church another icon of the Virgin Mary can be found and this icon by legend rewards women with powers of fertility after praying before the icon and leaving an offering of a stotinka coin, should the coin stick then the virgin has heard their prayers, should the coin fall to the ground.....pray harder next time!

Arbanasi has some beautiful restaurants offering traditional delicious home cooked fare in the stone walled gardens which define the plots in Arbanasi. There are many quality hotels in Arbanasi many with swimming pools and beautiful architectural styling from the revival period since being converted from a house or built as a purpose designed guest house in Arbanasi. At the other end of the scale are large Arbanasi hotels offering banqueting facilities and are especially popular in Summer for wedding functions with couples coming from as far as Sofia and mixing their wedding in the hotel in Arbanasi with a visit to Arbanasi Monastery - St. Virgin Mary to hopefully ensure that they will have a happy future family!

Please find below, a full list of the latest Property for sale in Arbanasi

Nearest Town: Veliko Tarnovo 4km, Gorna Oryahovitsa 4km, Lyaskovets 5km
Nearest Village: Sheremetya 4km, Malki Chiflik 6km, Parvomaytsi 8km, Dragizhevo
8km Altitude: 300 - 499m above sea level
Area size of Village of Arbanasi: 11.881km2
Post code: 5029
Latitude: 43.1N Longitude: 25.667E
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