The Stoyu Shishkov Regional History Museum in Smolyan was established in 1935. It is the oldest and the largest in the Middle Rhodopes and is part of the Hundred National Tourist Sites.
It has a huge collection that includes the historical, archaeological and cultural artifacts found in the Rhodope Mountains from antiquity to today. The collection numbers nearly 150,000 museum items, including those from the auxiliary collection and documents from the scientific and technical archives plus the library collection. The museum has spacious foyers for temporary exhibitions. The museum building is specially built and has an exceptionally beautiful view of the town and the Rhodope peaks of Perelik, Karlak and Sokolitsa.
In the museum exposition on an area of 2000 m² are exhibited objects from archaeology, history, everyday life and culture of the Rhodope people, original works of art with cultural and historical significance. The earliest objects are from before the Middle Palaeolithic (100 000 – 70 000 BC). The museum also has a rich photo archive of negatives, positives and digital images, as well as orders and medals representing the award system of Bulgaria – a donation from Col. Raicho Harbaliyev. The typical ancient tradition of the Bulgarians – Kukerstvo – can be seen in great detail in the museum.
The permanent exposition “Cultural and Historical Heritage from Antiquity to the Present Day” is presented in two sections: archaeology, including “Prehistory”, “Thracians” and “Middle Ages”, and ethnography with expositions “Ritual Props”, “Traditional Rhodope Crafts: Blacksmithing, Coppersmithing, Weaving”, “Rhodope Architecture and Dulger” and “Traditions and Modernity”.
Member Since 2023
