site.btaTraditional Craft Fair Opens in Etura

108 - CULTURE - ETURA - FAIR

Traditional Craft
Fair
Opens in Etura


Gabrovo, Central Bulgaria, September 7 (BTA) - A traditional craft fair opened Friday in the Eturka open-air museum of traditional crafts. Participating are over 80 artisans from 13 countries.

Tucked in the northern slopes of the Central Balkan Range, Etura is a suburb of the town of Gabrovo. It is something of a model of a Bulgarian town from the Revival period where visitors find artisan shops, traditional technologies and period architecture. It is a snapshot of the 18-19th century Bulgarian economy.

The Etura artisans practice over 20 old crafts which flourished in the 19th century and which involved the processing of metals, wood, clay, leather and fur, wool and other materials. The Etura shops produce knives, bread, confectionary, music instruments, woven textiles, pottery, leather belts and shoes, jewellery. Many of them use tools powered by the water of the Sivrek River which runs right across Etura

Etura opened in 1964, was designated a National Park in 1967 and a Monument of culture in 1971. Some of the buildings are authentic and have only been recovered. Others are newly built replicas of period houses which actually existed in Gabrovo.

The narrow winding cobble streets remind of renowned Bulgarian architectural reserves such as Bozhentsi, Arbanassi and Zheravna.

In her remarks at the opening of the fair, Parliament leader Tsveta Karayancheva said that Etuka "has turned into a shelter for the Bulgarian spirit, the spirit of the old masters, of what makes Bulgarian people unique".

The event will be on until September 9. RY/LN/