Immovable Cultural Heritage

National Monument of Culture Built 1847. One of the most picturesque spots in the old town of Plovdiv is located near the eastern gate of the town called Hisar Kapiia (Hisar Stone Gate). As a part of this ensemble, the impressive façade of the Kuyumdzhiouglu house, built in the remote 1847 by the master-builder Hadji Georgi, creates unique atmosphere. It is a typical representative of Plovdiv Renaissance symmetrical house, defined by experts as a peak of Baroque architecture in Bulgaria. Its owner is Arghir Kuyumdzhiouglu, a wealthy tradesman from Plovdiv. Kuyumdzhieva house is a part of Architectural-archeological reserve The Ancient town of Plovdiv. The building has impressive size – four floors, each one with an area of 570 sq. m.; two big parlours; twelve rooms (all of them with unique wood-carved ceilings) and over one hundred and thirty windows. The focus is placed on the imposing reception parlour (hayet) on the second floor, arching and projecting above the wicket towards the yard. Characteristic of the reception parlour is its oval central part with a beautifully shaped wooden ceiling, constructed by means of a high painted chamfer. The eastern façade of the house was built upon the ancient fortified wall and is an inseparable part of the ensemble of Hisar Kapiia. At the end of 19th century the house became a girls’ boarding school, and later it turned into a millinery factory, a vinegar factory, and a storehouse for flour. Antonio Colaro, a tobacco tradesman, bought it in 1930. In 1938, following the initiative of the mayor Mr. Bozhidar Zdravkov, the Municipality of Plovdiv and the Ministry of National Education signed an official decision for establishing a Municipal House-Museum whose successor nowadays is Regional Ethnographic Museum in Plovdiv. Since 1943 the house-monument has been opened for visitors. Presently, the unique house is a National Monument of Culture.