site.btaLegend of Mosque of The Seven Maidens in Podkova Village Attracts Worshipers, Tourists

The Mosque of the Seven Maidens built nearly six centuries ago, in 1428, in the village of Podkova, Southern Bulgaria, attracts not only religious Muslims but tourists of all faiths from around the world. One of the reasons for the temple's popularity is a legend that the locals tell about its construction.

According to the legend, the wooden mosque was built by seven betrothed girls who had sent their fiancés to fight in a war. Local residents told BTA's Valentina Stoeva that they keep the tradition of making the so-called cheiz (a dowry of clothes and household goods, which the bride takes to her husband's home). When the seven girls realized that the men will never return from the war, they decided not to engage to other men. Instead, they sold their cheiz and built the mosque in one night. Once the mosque was done, the girls disappeared for good, says the legend.

"Everyone in the village knows the legend, and thanks to the Internet and social networks, people abroad know it as well," Podkova Mayor Halmi Musa told BTA. Before becoming mayor, Musa oversaw the restoration of the wooden mosque.

The Mosque of the Seven Maidens is an example of old engineering. The wooden construction was built without any nails. After its restoration, the site was declared a cultural monument. Musa reported that the restoration of the wooden mosque took seven years, with nearly 50 cubic metres of wood harvested from the Balkan Mountain range. Drying the wood on its own took three years.

The Mayor said that the mosque has turned into an attractive tourist site. He added that every year on May 6, between 3,000 and 4,000 attend the mosque to pray, often hoping to see a disease healed, as there are healing stones in the mosque's yard.