| Festival of the Karakachans |
About 25,000 live in Bulgaria Karakachans between 6 and 7000 of them - in the Sliven region. 20 are cultural and educational companies in the country.
Karakachans (city σαρακατσάνος - sarakatsanos) are Greek-speaking nomadic shepherds who live mainly in the Pindus Mountains, Greece and Eastern Stara Planina, Bulgaria. Karakachans are predominantly Greek national consciousness. Part of living in Bulgaria are considered to be Bulgarians. In the Ottoman Empire Karakachans were relatively independent and experienced people to trade with meat (lamb and mutton) and wool. Karakachans usually spend the summer months, which lies in modern Bulgaria and returned to Greece to the south for the winter. Migration began in St. George, a reverse migration - of St. Demetrius. After 1947, a group of Karakachans was not allowed to leave Bulgaria and Greece to enter. They subsequently settled in Bulgaria and in particular are Bulgarized. Karakachans compact masses living in villages and towns on the southern slopes of Stara Planina mountain - especially in Karnobat, Sliven, Karlovo, Sopot and others. Karakachans speak archaic dialect of Greek and Eastern Orthodox Christians. Etymological, their name probably comes from the Turkish word karakaçan / kırkaçan, meaning 'one who left rough to land' or possibly Aromanian word sarac-tsani, meaning 'cracker'. Karakachans ethnic background is still unclear - it is believed they have miraculously survived Dorians, although their language vazhozhda Coyne to Hellenistic or Hellenized Vlachs simple. Many of their costumes, songs, traditions and folklore have become integral part of the overall Greek cultural heritage. .jpg) .jpg) .jpg) |
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