The picturesque Gabrovo village of Iglika will host a unique large-scale event dedicated to Bulgarian carpet art. From today until August third, visitors will have the exceptional opportunity to immerse themselves in rich textile history through a diverse program.
The central event will be a tour of ten decares of carpet fields, which will open the festival this evening. The collection, gathered by Dutch collector Jacob van Beylen, includes remarkable samples from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, presenting the evolution of traditional Bulgarian carpet making.
The musical program promises exciting performances each evening. The first evening will be performed by the folklore trio "Fida", and on August 2nd the audience will enjoy the diverse musical style of the "Kalina Andreeva Band", which combines funk, R&B, jazz, ethno, and soul. Before the main performers, the stage will be opened by the talented children from the "Gabrovo Voices" formation.
The event is realized with financial support from Gabrovo Municipality through the Culture Fund 2025. Official partners include the Regional Ethnographic Complex "Etar" and two significant foundations - "Public Donation Fund - Sliven" and "Community in Support of Dependents".
The project curator is Jacob van Beylen himself, who describes the festival as a "rare opportunity for a comprehensive look at centuries-old Bulgarian carpet traditions". Based in Veliko Tarnovo since 2013, he has dedicated his life to researching, preserving, and promoting Bulgarian carpets.
The exhibition at the Stone Nest in Iglika will be the most extensive worldwide, surpassing the previous record from 1990 at the San Francisco Museum of Fine Arts. It will present unique carpets from various Bulgarian schools, including the Chiprovtsi school - part of the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage.
As an addition to the rich program, the organizers have also announced a photo contest that will allow visitors to capture their impressions of this exceptional event. The Bulgarian Telegraph Agency will be the official media partner.