Bulgaria Inside

A small street that houses St. Ioan Bogoslov church in Karnobat is also the place to find the town’s ethnographic museum. The museum is situated in Dimitur Polianov’s memorial house. This building is the only preserved authentic revival-period construction in Karnobat.

Three halls display the museum collections. They present Karnobat culture and lifestyle from the revival period to the first decades of the 20th century.

Many photos and documents describe Karnobat as an important administrative, commercial and craftsmen center.

The collections present information about the Karnobat fair, which was one of the established such events alongside the fairs in Sliven, Kazanluk and Stara Zagora. Merchants from Turkey, Greece, Persia and Asia Minor visited Karnobat to offer their products for sale.

Traditional crafts are also shown in the museum, alongside stock breeding practices. Craftsmen works, instruments, jewelry and clothing all feature among the collection items.

The museum focuses on Karnobat traditions like koukeri and lazarouvane. Traditional weddings are also presented.

Save for last the most interesting section, namely the presentation of traditional clothing from the Karnobat region. Both male and female clothes feature ornate decorations, intricate knitting work and bead decorations.