Festival of Chiprovtsi Carpets

A small factory in the Rhodope town of Kostandovo weaves for the royal courtyard of Great Britain

The Bulgarian embroidery, costumes, rugs and carpets are among the ambassadors of our country all over the world. The motives and threads in them are highly valued even in the British Royal courtyard. They are famous all over the world for the skillfully woven geometric figures of humans, animals and birds - in the colors red, black, yellow, blue, brown and green. Initially, the carpets were only in the colors red and black, but later the color palette they made was enriched. Centuries ago, on a piece of the carpet, skilled women would weave the year of production of the carpet, so they can be seen from future generations. Chiprovtsi carpets are recognized by UNESCO as part of the world cultural heritage.

In order to preserve and deliver its traditions, for the fifth consecutive year the Municipality of Chiprovtsi organized a Festival of Chiprovtsi Carpet. It will take place on 5th and the 6th May and will present to the world the tradition of the craft, as well as the introduction of modern motifs in the manufacture of carpets. The festival will be in the square of “Chiprovsky Uprising”. There will be an open-air exhibition of traditional wool and cotton carpets. Tourists will also understand how the floor masterpieces are made with two completely identical faces.

Especially for the festival this year there will be an open center to sell carpets and souvenirs in Chiprovski pattern, among the unique objects will be a watch whose clock-face will be a motif of Chiprovtsi carpet.

The Bank of England, Prince Charles and the Rolling Stones vocalist Mick Jagger are among the owners of Kostandovo carpets. They are made by twenty women in original technology - old wooden looms. In fact, the Kostandovo factory is one of the last manufacturers of handmade carpets with large sizes up to 120 sq. Because of the refusal of technologists from mechanical machining, no more than 15 carpets are made per year.

The wool for them is dyed in place to be in the exact colors of the furniture or the walls of the room, in which they will be laid. Anyone who wants to have such an artwork must be willing to pay about 150 euros per square meter.

The work of women from the former “Hemus” factory, today a small private workshop, has been reflected even in reports by a global media giant like “France press”. “In a small Bulgarian workshop in the heart of the Rhodopes, skillful hands spin, cut and turn the weave into beautiful floral motifs, which within a few months become carpets, worthy even for Prince”, comments the agency after realizing that some of the floors in Buckingham Palace are covered with carpets from Bulgaria.

The Rila Monastery is one of the few Bulgarian carpet owners in the Kostandovo shop.