Hindliyan House

Built in 1835-1840, and originally owned by the merchant Stepan Hindliyan, this historic house-museum is a stunning example of Symmetrical Plovidv Architecture. With its Neo-Baroque design, intricate ceilings and the detailed landscapes handpainted on its walls, the Hindliyan house is the most richly ornamented of all preserved houses in the Old Town. The niches on the interior walls are decorated with wall murals depicting scenery from Stockholm, Lisbon, Saint Petersburg, Athens, Istanbul, Venice, most likely reproduced from postcards and engravings the owner of the house brought back from his travels. One of the rooms in the house is called “the lighthouse”, due to the way the light comes shines out through the 13 windows, making the house look like a lighthouse in the evenings. The house has plenty of interior windows as well, to aid the lighting throughout. The large living room has a fountain through which rose water circulated and filled the room with its fragrance. Inside is the only preserved fully functional bathroom with running cold and hot water. Stepan Hindliyan and his family lived inside this house up until 1915, when the Turkish persecution of Armenians began. The merchant left his home to Armenian refugees in search of shelter. 23 Armenian families have lived in this house up until 1974, after which they were rehoused and the building was declared a cultural landmark.