Village of Dolen

The village of Dolen has been officially proclaimed a national architectural reserve in 1977. It is situated in the valley of the Dolen river, some 25 km east of the town of Gotze Delchev. The village is famous for its specific two and three-storey houses, with bow windows hanging above the narrow stone-paved streets. In the past, the village was famous for its skillfully made carpets and fleecy rugs. Some of the original fretworks and Rhodopi carpets and fleecy rugs are still preserved in it. According the legend, its first settlers were the escaped from a forcible conversion to Islam Bulgarians from the disappeared later village of Bukurovo ,near the present village Bogolin. The refugees settled on that place where "three roads tie and three rivers merge" in the gorge. From there its name originates /'dolen' comes from 'dol (gorge)/.