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Bulgarian Language and Culture
Where does it come from? Bulgarian is a member of the South Slavic group of the Slavonic subfamily of Indo-European languages. Modern Bulgarian, which is generally said to date from the 16th century, borrowed many words from Greek and Turkish during the period of Turkish domination and, more recently, has borrowed words from Russian, French, and German.
How many people speak it? It is the native tongue of some 9 million people.
In how many countries? Most speakers live in Bulgaria, where it is the official language, spoken by 90 percent of the population. It is also spoken in neighbouring countries like Macedonia.
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A spot of Culture In the Middle Ages particularly in the 10th and 11th centuries, Bulgaria formed the heart of Slavic culture. Over the centuries Bulgarian culture has been influenced successively by Byzantine, Greek, Russian and Western cultures.
Music & Dance: Traditional Bulgarian music includes folk songs and choral plain chants in the Greek mode for church services. The chief native musical instruments are the gaida (bagpipe) and the kaval (a wooden shepherd's flute).
Characteristic Bulgarian folk dances are variations of the hora, a round chain dance, and the ruchenitsa, a lively dance of two couples.
Food & Drink Meals of meat, potatoes and beans, accompanied by salads, form the basis for the Bulgarian diet.
Bulgarians favour almost lethal liquor such as Rakia and mastika.
Some of Bulgaria's Attractions Sofia: Largely rebuilt after WWII bombings, the city centre of Bulgaria's capital combines a mixture of architectural styles. Although Sofia suffers from the problems of drugs and crime associated with most major cities, it is a diverse and active city, which is being reinvigorated by the EU's ?Beautiful Bulgaria' campaign.
The Rila Mountains: Stunning and majestic, a two-day hike across the mountains leads to the Rila Monastery. At 2925m high, Musala Peak is the highest mountain in the Balkan Peninsula, and can be seen on the way to the monastery.
Veliko Tārnovo: The capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185-1393), this is a city laced with history. The Yantra River winds through a gorge in the centre and picturesque houses line the cliffs.
Nesebār: Founded by the Greeks in 510 BC, Nesebār is part of ancient Mesembria, on the site of a Thracian settlement. Today it is mostly a fishing town and tourist site, but before it ceased to be an active trading post in the 18th century, Nesebār was a trading town of great importance to Byzantium.
