Prologue
Dear friends, until the moment when I prepared my material about the Baikusheva mura in Pirin National Park - a living creature of Bulgaria's age and one of the oldest trees in the world, I really had no idea that, in fact, officially the territory of Bulgaria has a living being older than the wall in Pirin. I knew absolutely nothing about the Granite Oak, about the fact that it is officially dated at 1,680 years old, that it sprouted as a young sapling in 345 AD and that the oak is located in the village of Granit - very close to my beloved Brezovo and Rakovski.
Of course, I immediately set myself a new goal to visit and photograph it an hour sooner. That is why in the month of September 2024 I went to Granit.
As it usually happens (because this is Bulgaria - a place that has preserved a thousand years of history), my visit to the village of Granit raised more questions for me.
On the facade of a building near the oak I noticed a painted figure of a kneeling man holding a young oak sapling in his hands before planting it.
This image gave rise to new emotions in me and I began to seek answers to the questions that were pressing in my head.
Who is this man?
Why and how does it happen that he is the one who plants this thousand-year-old tree, still alive today?
I sought answers and realized that the man depicted is Saint Athanasius of Alexandria, Egypt, who, on his way back from Serdica (today's Sofia), plants the Granite Oak. This was not enough for me at all and only awakened in me an even greater series of questions that required answers.
Who is Saint Athanasius?
What happened in Serdica?
I continued to search for information on the topics very diligently, diligently and with a passion in my heart.
And of course the answers to these questions amazed me!
I diligently collected and presented everything I learned in this publication, the prologue of which you are reading now.
Everything I learned led me to the Beginning!
***
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
And God said, “Let there be light.” And there was light.
And God saw that the light was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.
And God called the light day, and the darkness he called night.
And there was evening, and there was morning, the first day.
Genesis 1:1 – 5
Light and darkness have alternated many times since then, and many different human destinies have spread over the face of the Earth.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
No one has ever seen God; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
The Holy Gospel of John 1:1, 14, 18
The mighty God, the eternal Father, the Prince of Peace, left His glory and majesty in heaven and showed the greatest humility by coming into this sinful and wretched world.
Who, being in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
Philippians 2:6 – 7
He was born as a little, poor baby. He took his first breath from the breath of animals in a stable. He slept his first sleep in a rough manger.
He lived the most humble and obedient life to God.
He took upon Himself the pains and sufferings of man.
And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of a cross.
The Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Philippians 2:8
He was tempted in all points, yet he sinned not. He was sinless, yet he took upon himself our sins. He was rejected, hated, beaten, despised, reviled, mocked, condemned to death, and crucified. He lived among us and bore the miseries of this life, the wrath of God against sin, and the cursed death of the cross.
He was despised and rejected by men. A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And as a man from whom men turn away their faces, and he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him smitten, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isaiah 53:3 – 4
And, behold, the Son of man was buried, and was smitten of God, and afflicted:
For this cause doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
The Holy Gospel of John 10:17 – 18
He died for our sins, and was raised to life, giving us his righteousness.
Who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification.
Romans 4:25
He ascended into heaven again, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father, who also makes intercession for us.
So then, after the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.
Mark 16:19
Therefore he is able also to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 7:25
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, as a testimony in due time.
First Timothy 2:5-6
Christ commanded us:
Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
The Holy Gospel of Mark 16:15 – 16
Rejected and persecuted, persecuted and even killed, Christians have tirelessly spread the Word of God since then.
And you will be hated by all because of My name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.
The Holy Gospel of Mark 13:13
Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus ascends the imperial throne in Rome. A native of present-day Niš, Serbia, once part of the Roman province of Moesia, the 57th Roman emperor remains known in history by the name Constantine I or Constantine the Great.
Proclaimed Augustus in 306 and sole emperor from 324, Constantine the Great was the first Christian Roman emperor and as such officially ended the persecution of Christians in 313 by issuing the famous Edict of Milan*.
The Edict of Milan or Edict of Milan (Latin: Edictum Mediolanense) was an edict by the two Augusti Licinius and Constantine, issued in 313 in the city of Mediolanum (now Milan), which proclaimed Christianity equal to other religions. The edict is traditionally considered to have ended the Diocletianic persecutions against Christians.
This was a historical turning point in world history.
God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Philippians 2:9 – 11
Meanwhile, in parallel with all these events, over the past two centuries, the Christological debates about the human and divine nature of the Only Begotten have occupied the Christian church, and in order to resolve these debates, seven Ecumenical Councils have been convened successively over the centuries, the first of which is the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, which took place on May 29, 325.
For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace;
for the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Holy Gospel of John 1:16 – 17
God, who in various parts and in various ways spoke in time past to our fathers by the prophets,
in these last days has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he made the worlds,
Who being the radiance of his glory and the exact representation of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Hebrews 1:1 – 3
I and the Father are one.
Holy Gospel of John 1:30
But the faith was not pure, and there were heresies.
A popular doctrine at that time was Arianism, which taught that the Shepherd of men was distinct from and subordinate to God the Father. Although this doctrine was condemned as heresy and eventually eliminated by the church, it remained underground for a time until the 4th century.
But there were false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
2 Peter 2:1
Arianism was formally condemned at the First Council of 318 God-bearing Fathers in Nicaea, which upheld the doctrine of the Holy Trinity as set forth in the Nicene Creed—a central theme discussed at the council.
We believe in one God, the Father, Almighty, Creator of all things visible and invisible;
and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten, begotten of the Father, that is, of the substance of the Father;
God from God;
Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one substance with the Father, by whom (through the Son) all things were made, both in heaven and on earth;
for us men and for our salvation he came down and was incarnate and became man;
he suffered and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven, and shall come to judge the living and the dead;
and in the Holy Spirit.
Other, no less important topics discussed at the First Ecumenical Council were the Canon - the collection of books of the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament, which together with the books of the Old Testament form the content of the great book of faith, as well as a discussion of the understandings of the followers of Arius, known by the nickname Arians) and an analysis of whether they were correct or not.
For the word of God is living, active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12
The wicked Arius continued to spread his foolish heresy – his anti-Trinitarian view and with his malicious teaching harmed the entire church. Although he had already been cursed at the First Ecumenical Council of the holy fathers in Nicaea, excommunicated from communion with the church of Christ and sentenced to exile, cast down and barely alive, he did not cease his fight against the correct teaching.
My son, do not walk in the way with them, refrain your foot from their path,
for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
For in vain a net is spread in the sight of any bird.
And they lie in wait for their own blood, they lie in wait for their own life.
Such are the ways of every greedy person:
the love of money takes away the lives of those who are possessed by it.
Proverbs 1:15 – 19
Arius continued to act through his disciples and associates, spreading everywhere the poison of his heresy. By cunning he attracted many advocates for himself before the emperor in the person of Eusebius, bishop of Nicomedia, and other bishops who had fallen into the same heresy. Through them Arius begged Constantine the Great for mercy for himself, to release him from exile and allow him to return to Alexandria.
And be careful that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to trouble you and infect the majority.
Hebrews 12:15
Eusebius cunningly persuaded the emperor that Arius did not introduce any doctrine or preach anything contrary to the teaching of the church, but out of envy he suffered the cunning of the bishops, and that the dispute between them was not about faith, but only about empty and abstract words. The emperor, who was simple-hearted and unscrupulous, not suspecting the heretical cunning and deceit, believed the false assurances and ordered that the dispute should cease and that they should not quarrel about words, so that the discord between the churches might cease.
Who say that there was (a time) when the Son did not exist,
that He was not before birth and did not proceed in essence;
or those who affirm that the Son of God has existence from another being or essence;
or that He was created, or made, or changeable,
to be anathemaed by the Universal Church.
Anathema of the Arian Heresy
Without investigating the case, he mercifully allowed Arius to return to Alexandria. And behold, the impious heretic, to the misfortune of the whole church, returned to the city. This event was very sad, especially for Saint Athanasius, who, as a soldier of Christ, defended the correct doctrine.
Then Jesus approached them and spoke to them, saying:
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. [Amen]."
Holy Gospel of Matthew 28:18 – 20
Saint Athanasius, also known as Athanasius I the Great, Patriarch of Alexandria (Greek: Αθανάσιος) was an Egyptian theologian and clergyman, Patriarch of Alexandria from 328 to 373. He is one of the most prominent theologians and defenders of the purity of the faith and is considered the first spreader of monasticism that originated in Egypt in Europe.
And we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the World.
The First Epistle of John 4:14
Saint Athanasius is best known for his opposition to Arius and Arianism.
I am Alpha and Omega, says the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty…
I am the first and the last, and the living.
I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever, and I have the keys of death and of hell.
Revelation 1:8, 17-18
At that time he had already been awarded the rank of archdeacon. He persecuted the heretic, exposing his evil intentions with his writings and his preaching. At the same time, Athanasius also suggested to the most holy Archbishop Alexander to write a letter to the emperor, in which he himself took part, paying attention to the naivety, because of which the emperor believed the lies and fables of the heretics and today accepts Arius, who denies the Church of Christ, whom God Himself has denied, and all the holy fathers, and the emperor allows him to shake the patristic laws.
Meanwhile, the emperor was excited about choosing a new capital, impressed above all by the important strategic location of the ancient Thracian city of Byzantium, in the year 330 he expanded it significantly and officially moved his capital there. Decades later, after the conditional division of the Roman Empire into two parts in the year 395, the city of Byzantium became the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, called centuries later (in the year 1553 by the German Hieronymus Wolf) the Byzantine Empire. After the death of Constantine the Great, the city was renamed in his honor Constantinople (in Greek: Κωνσταντινουπολις, which means city of Constantine), as well as the new Rome.
Constantine the Great hesitated a lot when choosing a new capital. The emperor also had another settlement as his personal favorite. This was Serdica - today's Sofia, also an old Thracian city, hidden between the slopes of Vitosha and the Balkan Mountains.
Serdica is my Rome!
Constantine the Great
Serdica was also a favorite city of the emperors Trajan, Marcus Aurelius, and his son Commodus.
Constantine the Great had a deep emotional attachment to Serdica, located at such a key point on the road between Rome and the East – from Northern Italy, through Singiduneum (today Belgrade), Naisud – his hometown (today Niš) to Byzantium.
Although it did not become the capital of the empire, Serdica always enjoyed the special treatment of emperors and high-ranking state officials. It was a large city for its time with everything necessary in terms of structure – temples, an amphitheater, buildings for senators, a center of trade, crafts, and warehouses for provisions. It was surrounded by a vast fertile plain, through which several rivers flowed, and which, in turn, was surrounded by mountains on all sides. But one of its most serious advantages were the healing hot mineral springs, found in abundance both inside the city walls and in the fields all around it. According to tradition, the Roman bath was the center of the interests of the noble citizens. There, in addition to relaxation, sports activities and revelry, it was a place for meetings of the elite and discussion of important issues related to politics, government, economics and military affairs. For these reasons, the bathhouse building was located in the center of the city and had an impressive and authoritative appearance. In addition to all this, the hot mineral springs additionally provided the opportunity to heat the city during the cold months of the year - winter, late autumn and early spring.
Therefore, the choice of Serdica as the site of the Second Ecumenical Council, as a continuation of the First, was not at all accidental.
So, speaking of the Serdica Council, it is pleasant to dwell on it in more detail, because this council won brilliant and eternal glory for the Bulgarian country. Of course, Serdica is its capital and from there it can be proven what kind of cult of the Christian religion flourished here before the arrival of the Bulgarians. Because general councils are convened only in the safest cities, in which the Christian faith flourishes.
Petar Bogdan
"History of Bulgaria"
The church council in Serdica was convened by the emperors Constans (third and youngest son of Emperor Constantine the Great, who elevated him to Caesar in the year 333) and Constantius II (second son of Emperor Constantine the Great, who elevated him to Caesar in the year 324), mainly in order to overcome the church schism that had occurred.
The Council of Serdica began in November of the year 343.
It was originally conceived as the official second Ecumenical Council and was presided over by the bishop of the Spanish city of Cordoba, Saint Hosius the Confessor of Cordoba, who had previously presided over the First Ecumenical Council. Saint Hosius the Confessor of Cordoba was the personal confessor of Emperor Constantine the Great.
In Him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins,
in Him, who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation,
for by Him all things were created, that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created by Him, and He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:14 – 17
The council sessions lasted from the late autumn of the year 343 until the end of the winter in the month of February of the year 344. 341 delegates were invited to this second council, including Protogenes, Bishop of Serdica, also a prominent participant in the First Ecumenical Council, as well as Saint Athanasius the Great himself – the strongest fighter against the Arians, as Socrates calls him. All of them represented the entire universal church of that time. The main purpose of the council was to achieve church peace in connection with the internecine conflicts mentioned up to this point.
Who is a liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ?
He is the antichrist, who denies both the Father and the Son.
Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
1 John 2:22 – 23
Unfortunately, peace was not achieved. The discord between Arians and non-Arians caused a deep and very serious conflict. Deeply offended, the Arians withdrew to their own council, which was later held in Philippopolis (today's Plovdiv). It was this huge division and the ultimate thwarting of the original unifying plan that was the reason why the Council of Serdica was not recognized as the Second Ecumenical Council.
From here on, history tells us that Saint Athanasius set out from Serdica. On his way to Constantinople in the summer of 344, in the land of the present-day village of Zlatna Livada, Chirpan, Saint Athanasius the Great founded the first monastery in the whole of Europe.
Дни по-рано в землището на днешното село Гранит, Старозагорско, Свети Атанасий посява жълъд, който израства в могъщо и напето дърво от вида летен дъб.
It is summer 2024. Today the summer oak is 17 centuries old.
Today, the Granite Oak is the oldest known living creature on the territory of Bulgaria.
The Granite Oak is listed in the Register of Centuries-Old Trees in Bulgaria, maintained by the Executive Agency for the Environment, under the name The Old Oak.
In the early 1980s, a botanical probe (Pressler's drill) counted its annual rings at that time - 1,637 in number. According to this data, the tree appeared as a sapling around 345 AD.
The oak tree is more than impressive! I stand in front of it, watching it and I am amazed – completely absorbed by this extraordinary creature!
Officially, in the 1980s, its crown spread over an area of 1,017 square meters, the circumference of its trunk was seven and a half meters, and its height was almost 24 meters.
During a strong storm in 1969, its thickest branch broke. From that moment until today, its condition began to deteriorate. The old man's trunk split and its branches began to gradually dry up. Over the years, various activities have been carried out for its protection and preservation, but without real success. Unfortunately, today the tree is slowly dying.
Currently, only one of its huge branches is alive and will turn green in the spring. In the photo above, you can see what this branch looks like in September of 2024.
Previously, there were two huge elms on both sides of the oak. We would gather in the bark of one to play cards in the shade. And so the three trees grew and did not interfere with each other. However, one year a disease swept through the elms and ruined them. They had to be cut down. When they were pushed and cut, they gave so much material that for 3-4 years the village bakery baked bread with their wood...
There, behind the tree, was the school. My classmate had taken a seed from the oak and planted it in a pot. The seed had taken root and on the oak holiday, the whole class together transplanted it to the tree. Now on the right is the successor to the Granite Oak, and it is now big too.
Story of a resident of the village of Granit
During the first twenty years of the new century, the Granit century-old oak tree literally dried up, withered and slowly disappeared. From its huge and so impressive green crown, which aroused admiration in everyone, today only a dry skeleton with a few living branches remains, supported by a solid steel structure.
The oak tree is in poor condition. Of all the branches, only one is alive. The main problem for its condition is the low groundwater level, but unfortunately we cannot do anything to raise it. In 1969, the largest branch of the tree broke and since then the tree has been drying out. In 1983, improvements were made. Specialists concreted the hollow of the tree, made this metal structure, but unfortunately the attempt was unsuccessful. The Municipality has taken measures to fence off the oak tree in order to limit visitors.
Emil Filipov,
Deputy Mayor of Bratya Daskalovi Municipality
The crown of the century-old tree is tied with a special reinforcing steel structure, and the rope that holds the only living branch has become entangled in it and at the first heavy snowfall or storm it will probably break fatally.
Funds must be provided for a team of climbers to hang two new ropes and tighten them to a position where they can already take the weight of the branch, so that it can be freed from the entangled steel threads and cleaned.
Tonyu Tsanev,
Chairman of the "Hristo Botev" National Community Center in the village of Granit
The last geodetic survey of the old man was carried out in 2019. It informed about the extremely poor condition of the tree, which has dried up to 90%.
According to Ms. Zhenya Mocheva, Chief Expert "Biological Diversity, Protected Areas and Zones" at the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water - Stara Zagora, the most likely reason for the condition of the Granite Oak is the low groundwater level. The living branch has grown together with the steel structure and any relocation would not have a good effect.
The centuries-old summer oak is the main symbol of the village of Granit and its most distinguished resident. For centuries, festive people have gathered on the square in the center of the village - under the shade of the tree's crown, weddings have been held and all kinds of events have been celebrated. Every Tuesday, a market was held under it, to which merchants from Chirpan and Plovdiv came with their goods. Unfortunately, in the last thirty years, these traditions have no longer been maintained.
The old man is also immortalized on four of the canvases of the wonderful Bulgarian artist Zlatyu Boyadzhiev, originally from the neighboring town of Brezovo.
For almost thirty years, a teacher from the Granit School "Peyo Yavorov" Mrs. Stanka Koleva, together with her students, has been collecting and planting acorns from the oak. The eldest son of the oak, planted by them, grows close to his father, and the last living branch of the old giant constantly reaches out towards him.
Other successors of the oak were planted later next to the church, the town hall and in the municipal center, in Rakovski and Brezovo, as well as at the ruins of the medieval church "St. Ivan Rilski" in the old capital Veliko Tarnovo. Members of the association "Professional Forum for Education" from Sofia, which has its roots in Granit, are also growing several saplings - descendants of the Granit Oak, which they planted as acorns in the spring of 2013. Their wish is that when the saplings grow stronger, they will be planted in Sofia parks with the appropriate markings.
The Granite Oak and the History of Bulgaria
When in the year 681, Khan Asparuh crossed the Danube south and founded the Bulgarian State, the Granite Oak was 338 years old.
When in the year 855, the Holy Brothers Cyril and Methodius created the Slavic alphabet, the Granite Oak was 512 years old.
When in the year 864, Boris baptized the Bulgarians, the Granite Oak was 521 years old.
When in the year 893, Simeon ascended the throne and the Golden Age began, the Granite Oak was 550 years old.
When in the year 1018, the end of the First Bulgarian State came, the Granite Oak was 675 years old.
When in the year 1185, the uprising of Asen and Peter broke out, the Granite Oak was 843 years old.
When in the summer of 1205 Kaloyan defeated the Crusaders at Edirne, the Granite Oak was 862 years old.
When in the summer of 1396 the end of the Second Bulgarian Empire came, the Granite Oak was 1053 years old.
When in the summer of 1762 Paisius completed his "Slavo-Bulgarian History", the Granite Oak was 1419 years old.
When on April 20, 1876, the Bulgarians revolted and the April Epic began, the Granite Oak was 1533 years old.
When in the summer of 1878 the Liberation occurred, the Granite Oak was 1535 years old.
When in the summer of 1885 the Unification occurred, the Granite Oak was 1542 years old.
When Bulgarian independence was declared in the summer of 1908, the Granite Oak was 1565 years old.
When in the summer of 1912, the people of Srednogorsk, led by the valiant Colonel Vladimir Serafimov, liberated the Rhodope Mountains, the Granite Oak was 1569 years old.
The biblical quotes used are from: https://biblia.bg/
The 1940 translation is quoted.
How do you get to the village of Granit?
Granit is a village in Southern Bulgaria, Bratya Daskalovi Municipality, Stara Zagora District.
The village is located about 45 kilometers southwest of the regional center and about 8 kilometers southwest of the municipal center.
It is located in the middle of the Upper Thracian Lowland, in the northeastern part of the Pazardzhik-Plovdiv Plain.
The Selska River flows through the village - a left tributary of the Maritsa River. To the west of the village flows the Brezovska River (until 1989 the Rakhmanliyska River).
The altitude in the center of the village near the church is about 171 meters.
Granit is located:
190 kilometers (about 2 hours and 3 minutes by car) from the capital
56 kilometers (about 54 minutes by car) from the city of Plovdiv
330 kilometers (about 3 hours and 50 minutes by car) from the city of Varna
214 kilometers (about 1 hour and 59 minutes by car) from the city of Burgas
The third-class republican road III-666 passes through the village, which in the south after the village of Orizovo connects with the "Trakia" highway, and in the north through the villages of Turkmen and Chokoba connects in the town of Brezovo with the second-class republican road II-56. A municipal road in the northeast connects the village of Granit with the village of Bratya Daskalovi.
How do you get to the Granite Oak?
The Granite Oak grows in the center of the village and is accessible by a convenient road. The place is extremely peaceful and beautiful, with benches and a small park nearby.
Access to the tree itself is prohibited. The Granite Oak is located in a small fenced area, which is open enough for you to enjoy its majesty.
Access to the ancient tree is completely free, easy and convenient, making it a great tourist attraction. An excellent time to visit the place is in spring and autumn, when it is not so cold or hot. There are several convenient parking places near the tree.
Ancient trees in Bulgaria
Before the Granite Oak was accepted as the oldest tree in Bulgaria, it was believed that the Baykusheva Fir in Pirin, thirteen centuries old, was the oldest tree.
A few decades younger is the plane tree in the village of Zlatolist near Sandanski.
In the Chinarite area in the village of Belashtitsa, Plovdiv region, which is more than a thousand years old, you can see several centuries-old plane trees, which are a true natural landmark. The most famous of them is a centuries-old plane tree of more than 1100 years old, which is also the thickest tree in Bulgaria.
A blagun oak, about a thousand years old, is the doyen of Strandzha.
Another oak from the village of Berende, Sofia region, is more than 850 years old.
Dozens of oaks between 350 and 850 years old have been preserved in separate points of the Ludogorie near the present-day towns of Isperih, Kubrat, Samuil and Loznitsa.
The plane tree from the village of Dolnoslav near Asenovgrad is over 800 years old.
Among the veterans are the Kichestii hornbeam near the village of Turia, Kazanlak, which is about 700 years old, the Dedo-Toneviy oak near the village of Dolna Vrabcha, Brezniško, which is more than 650 years old, its peer from the village of Bosnek, Perniško, the two plane trees over 600 years old near Garmen.
Several dozen trees, about 550 years old, are the surviving representatives of the Strandzha oak, called the liar. Strandzha is the only habitat in Europe of this representative of the ancient flora, the ancestor of all oak species on the continent.
The Big Beech near Krastets in the Tryavna Balkan is over 500 years old.
The Slaveykov oak in the "Lozenets" neighborhood in Sofia - the oldest tree in the capital - is approximately the same age.
One of the young (only 250 years old) future contenders is the centuries-old tser on the road to the village of Kosti in Strandzha.
Unfortunately, some of the iconic veterans have already dried up as a result of the inexorable actions of nature - such are the summer oak with the nickname The Elephant in the Elena Balkan and the Old Elm in Sliven.
Dear friends, before I show you what interesting sights you can see nearby, I would like to remind you of the special photo album, which has collected incredible beauty and impressive photo moments just for you, a link to which you will find at the end of the post!
Enjoy it!
Какво може да се посети в близост?
На 12.5 километра северно от село Гранит (на около 14 минути с автомобил) се намира град Брезово. В Брезово в делничен ден се отбийте до общината, за да разгледате изложбата, посветена на най-добрия портретист на Бетовен – Минчо Кацаров.
От Брезово е и друг голям български художник – Златьо Бояджиев. Къщата му в град Брезово е отворена за посещение и всеки желаещ може да я разгледа.
В Брезово не бива да пропускате да посетите старото училище в Брезово – едно от първите светски училища по българските земи.
Точно срещу сградата на училището се издига църква "Свети Димитър", строена през 1843 година.
На 11 километра северно от град Брезово (на около 13 минути с автомобил) ще откриете село Бабек. В близост е разположен язовир "Бабек", край който да направите чудна разходка.
Само на 10 километра северно от село Бабек (на около 16 минути с автомобил) ще откриете китното българско средногорско бижу Свежен, известен като Архитектурно-исторически резерват Свежен или АИР Свежен.
В центъра на АИР Свежен се извисява паметник на полковник Владимир Серафимов – Освободителят на Родопите.
Над паметника се извисява гордата бяла осанка на храм "Свети Свети апостоли Петър и Павел".
Типичен представител на свеженските архитектурни обекти е Серафимовата къща – една от най-старите в цял АИР Свежен. Този дом е една от най-старите типологии запазени автентични дървени къщи от българското средновековие в периода на османското владичество и една от малкото сгради на повече от 300 години, запазени у нас.
Родната къща, в която е роден и израсъл полковник Владимир Серафимов – Освободителят на Родопите, която понастоящем е превърната в къща-музей, е единична архитектурно-строителна недвижима културна ценност, обявена в ДВ бр. 86 от 1986 година като единичен архитектурно-строителен паметник на културата с категория "Национално значение".
В съседство се намират руините на старата аджарска средновековна църква "Свети Георги" в АИР Свежен.
В близост до руините на старата аджарска средновековна църква "Свети Георги" са разкрити основи – останки от килии, измазани с мазилка от кал върху стените, за които се предполага, че на времето са били обитавани от преписвачите-калиграфи на Аджарската книжовна школа.
На 23 километра североизточно от град Брезово (на около 29 минути с автомобил) се намира разклонът, водещ към Кутела.
Съвсем наблизо може да се насладите и на едно небивало дърво – кичестият габър.
На 8 километра северно от природна забележителност "Кичестият габър" (на около 9 минути с автомобил) се намира село Турия. В Турия може да посетите родния дом на Чудомир.
В Турия може да се насладите на автентичен римски мост "Скока".
На 4 километра североизточно от село Турия (на 6 минути с автомобил) се намира град Павел баня – горещи минерални извори и аромат на рози.
На 3 километра източно от Павел баня (на около 5 минути с автомобил) ще откриете село Виден. Край селото все още се извисяват гордите руини на чудната църква "Св. Анастасий".
Само на 63 километра северозападно от село Гранит (на около 59 минути с автомобил) ще откриете зеления и спокоен Хисаря.
Хисаря предлага на своите гости разнообразни и впечатляващи атракции, които съм обобщил в следните великолепни идеи за маршрути, от които всеки може да се възползва:
Само на 34 километра североизточно от град Хисаря (на около 44 минути с автомобил) се намира прекрасния Калофер.
Какво може да посетите в Калофер?
На входа на града се издига паметник на Калифер войвода, за когото легендите твърдят, че е дал името си и заедно с неговите четници са основали град Калофер.
Повече от 100 години са изминали от появата на едно от най-фините женски ръкоделия, наречено с право бялата магия – калоферската дантела. За това време тя не само се е съхранила, но е претърпяла и развитие, като от занаят, осигуряващ прехраната на калоферки, се превръща в изкуство.
Заповядайте в творческия център на калоферската дантела, за да се насладите на таланта на сръчните калоферки.
Срещу творческия център се намира музея на просветното дело, разположен в реставрираната сграда на прочутото Даскал Ботьово училище в Калофер.
Възрожденски храм "Свето Успение Богородично" се намира в централната част на Калофер. Историята на храма е изключително интересна, ето защо ви каня най-учтиво да я научите.
Възрожденски храм "Свето Успение Богородично" е разположен вдясно от Мемориален комплекс "Христо Ботев", в подножието на хълм, на който се извисява величественият монумент, към който сега ви приканвам да поемем.
В Калофер се намира Национален музей "Христо Ботев", номер 45 от Стоте национални туристически обекта на Българския туристически съюз.
Храм "Свети Атанасий Превелики" се намира в близост до центъра на Калофер. Той е единствената калоферска църква, разположена на десния бряг (южно) на река Тунджа.
Калофер е заобиколен от изключително красива природа! За да ѝ се насладите подобаващо, ви съветвам да поемете по екопътека "Бяла река".
Само на 17 километра западно от град Калофер (на около 19 минути с автомобил) ще откриете град Карлово. В Карлово препоръчвам да си направите разходка до Етнографски комплекс "Старинно Карлово".
Включва пет къщи – паметници на културата със забележителна културна стойност. Това са:
Всяка от къщите поражда свое уникално послание, което отправя госта в различни посоки, провокира у него желания и спомени, кара го да мечтае.
Целостта на архитектурния ансамбъл е уникална и неподражаема и всеки посетител би могъл да усети онзи велик възрожденски дух, който все още броди по тесните калдъръмени улички на "Старинно Карлово".
Етнографски комплекс "Старинно Карлово" е обект номер 44б от 100-те национални туристически обекта.
В Карлово препоръчвам да си направите разходка до красивия водопад Сучурум.
Върху историческия хълм Трапето, където навремето се е издигала църквата "Света Богородица", известна като Горната черква, опожарена през 1877 година от турците, днес откривам параклис "Покров Богородичен" – точно срещу композицията "Аз съм българче".
Ако поемете от хълм Трапето по пътеката в посока възрожденски храм "Свети Свети Апостоли Петър и Павел", ще се озовете пред дверите на храма за нула време.
Зад възрожденската черква се намира по-старото духовно средище – девически манастир "Въведение Богородично" (метох), който ви предлагам да посетите.
През 1851 година южно от възрожденски храм "Свети Свети Апостоли Петър и Павел", насред черковния двор, отваря врати девическо взаимно училище, известно като Радиното училище, което се смята за приемник на килийното училище в съседния девически метох.
От Радиното училище се отправям в посока Етнографски и занаятчийски център "Сопотски еснафъ".
Патриархът на българската литература Иван Вазов е роден на 9 юли 1850 година в град Сопот в старата къща на своя род.
През 1964 година къща-музей "Иван Вазов" е обявена за паметник на културата от национално значение.
Усетил зова на Балкана, скоро съм в полите на Стара планина.
Първа спирка по пътя ми е автентичната воденица на дядо Стоян от Вазовия роман "Под игото".
Дядовата Стоянова воденица се намира до пътя, водещ към началната станция на седалковия лифт, в северозападния край на града.
От Дядовата Стоянова воденица се отправям към Сопотски мъжки манастир "Възнесение Господне", който се намира в близост.
От Сопотски мъжки манастир "Възнесение Господне" стартира пътеката към величествения и така обаятелен Сопотски водопад на река Манастирска.
Ето го сърцето на водопада, което непрестанно бие в такт с Балкана.
На 15 километра югозападно от град Брезово (на около 15 минути с автомобил) ще откриете град Раковски. Тук непременно се потопете във вълшебството на българските народни приказки като посетите парк "Приказната гора".
Връзки към останалите приказки от "Приказната гора":
В близост се намира Адаптирана детска площадка.
Вероятно сте жадни за още изключително весели и много красиви паркове, които да посетите?! Добре тогава!
Само на 44 километра югозападно от град Раковски (на около 40 минути с автомобил) ще откриете град Стамболийски, в който най-горещо ви препоръчвам да посетите еко парк Стамболийски.
Само на около 20 километра западно от град Стамболийски (на около 20 минути с автомобил) се намира град Пазарджик, в който ще откриете градината на света и вечният пламък на мира.
Градината на света и вечният пламък на мира се намира в съседство с парк-остров "Свобода" в град Пазарджик.
Само на 40 километра южно от град Раковски (на около 43 минути с автомобил) се намира чаровното пловдивско градче Куклен.
Югозападно от Куклен, сгушен насред северните невероятно красиви родопски склонове, се намира Кукленски манастир "Свети Свети Козма и Дамян".
Само на 10 километра северозападно от град Куклен се намира чаровна Белащица.
Край селото може да се разходите из чудната вековна чинарова горичка.
Ще ви разкажа какви прастари легенди ми нашепваха вековните чинари, извисяващи се тук от незапомнени времена.
Край вековната чинарова горичка и днес се извисява средновековна и османска жилищно-отбранителна кула.
Само на 43 километра югозападно от град Раковски (на около 38 минути с автомобил) се намира село Първенец и един красив изкуствен водопад, който ви предлагам да посетите.
На около 15 километра южно от село Храбрино (на около 24 минути с автомобил) се намира чаровния Ситовски водопад.
На около 3 километра източно от село Храбрино (на около 6 минути с автомобил) се намира село Извор, откъдето стартира пътеката към Момини скали, по която ви съветвам да поемете.
Само на 46 километра южно от град Раковски (на около 43 минути с автомобил) се намира Асеновград. На по-малко от 2 километра южно от най-южния квартал на града се намира тракийска, антична, късноантична, средновековна и османска крепост "Петрич кале", известна днес като Асенова крепост.
Само на 47 километра южно от град Раковски (на около 51 минути с автомобил) се намира Араповски манастир "Света Неделя".
Насред двора на манастира се издига стройния силует на кулата на Ангел Войвода.
Само на 47 километра югоизточно от село Гранит (на около 53 минути с автомобил) ще откриете Национално балнеолечебно и курортно селище Минерални бани, Хасково, известно като Хасковски минерални бани.
В района на Минерални бани са запазени останките на антична, късноантична и средновековна крепост "Топлица", известна също като "Свети Дух" и съществувала в периода от II-ри век до XIV-ти век.
Само на 33 километра южно от национално балнеолечебно и курортно селище Минерални бани (на около 35 минути с автомобил) се намира село Бели пласт и природна забележителност "Каменни гъби" (Мантаркая) край Бели пласт – скален зеолитов феномен.
Само на около 13,5 километра южно от село Бели пласт (на около 18 минути с автомобил) се намира тайнственият древен град-крепост Перперикон.
И като за финал, мили мои приятели,
не бива да пропускате да разгледате
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открити, изживени, заснети и споделени с вас!
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