Regional Ethnographic Museum in Plovdiv

The Plovdiv Regional Ethnographic Museum is the second largest of its kind in Bulgaria. The institution was founded in 1917 and from 1938 until today it is being housed in the Kuyumdzhioglu House in the old town of Plovdiv. The house was built in 1847 for the Plovdiv merchant, Argir Hristov Kuyumdzhioglu, who owned a company inVienna. The house has a symmetric facad and it is two stories tall on its west side and four stories tall on its east side, employing the natural denivelation.

The exhibits are rich, allowing visitors to explore the spirit and culture of the people from this region of the country from the 16th to the 19th centuries.

The exposition shows us that taking care of livestock and farming was the main way of sustainance during the Renaissance in Bulgaria. From the traditional crafts, that were most common for this region at the time, the development of wool fabrics, colorful wool threads, pottery and smithery are on display. A lot of gold jewellery and church treasures of the time are on display. There is a separate room just for traditional gowns, wooven carpets and fabrics, musical instruments and dining equipment.

The Plovdiv Regional Ethnographic Museum also impresses with its grand art collection and a photograph exhibition with over 2000 photos from the late Renaissance.