Kalofer

Kalofer (Калофер) is a town in southern Bulgaria, between the Balkan Mountains to the north and the Sredna Gora to the south, part of Plovdiv Province. It is best known as the birthplace of Bulgarian poet and revolutionary Hristo Botev and is located on both banks of the Tundzha.

The modern settlement of Kalofer emerged in the 16th century, managing to preserve its Bulgarian character in the Ottoman Empire and to develop as a centre of craftsmanship, primarily cord production. The Kalofer monastery has been in operation since 1640 and the convent since 1700. During the Bulgarian National Revival the town became a centre of revolutionary activity, being the birthplace of figures such as Hristo Botev, Exarch Joseph, Dimitar Panichkov, Nikola Ivanov.

Honour

Kalofer Peak on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after Kalofer.

External links

* [http://www.kalofer.com/ Website about Kalofer and the Central Balkan Mountains]
* [http://www.journey.bg/bulgaria/bulgaria.php?&city=1922&gtype=1&gsubtype=68&gtype=1 Kalofer at Journey.bg]
* [http://www.pbase.com/ngruev/kalofer Nikola Gruev's photo gallery of Kalofer]