This will be my third (and probably final) entry into the Melnik series I've been posting over the last few days. Whereas the first was dedicated to a medieval trader's house located in the tiny town (https://steemit.com/photo/@brentssanders/4vtrwq-melnik-bulgaria-i-kordopulovata-kushta-the-kordopulov-house), and the second to the surrounding landscape (https://steemit.com/photography/@brentssanders/melnik-bulgaria-ii-in-harmony-with-nature), this post will focus on the unique architecture found there. Some of the pics are from my latest trip there last weekend, and some are from previous trips, but not much has changed over the last 25 years, thankfully :)
Although the Bulgarian Revivalist style will already be familiar to my regular readers, notice the Arabic/Turkish influence on the molded chimney:
I love the narrow passageways running between the houses here (this is an old pic; all the paint jobs have been fixed up since I took it):
A comparison of old (left) and new buildings (right). The wood braces and balconies and the red tile roofs are staple ingredients:
This has all been rebuilt (what a shame -- I love the color!):
This is the St. Nikola Church. You can see the techniques used in the restoration process several years ago:
And this is the front of the church now. (I like the decorations around the windows, don't you?):
Many houses are high above the road, meaning you have to be a hiker just to reach them :D
Quite imposing, aren't they?
Cool in the summer heat, but difficult to keep warm in the winter:
Interesting angles:
The old ruins towering above the town for decades, if not centuries:
And finally, one of my favorite buildings in all of Bulgaria -- the former school building (now being restored):
Ciao за now!
