The village of Vakarel is nestled in the Vakarel Mountains, part of the Ihtiman Forests, positioned some 35 kilometers from the capital, Sofia. This highland village boasts a southern exposure and offers sweeping views of the Rila, Rhodope, Vitosha, and Stara Planina mountains.
Transport and Infrastructure
Vakarel serves as a crucial transport hub, straddling the railway line between Sofia and Plovdiv, including a branch to the Mina Chukurovo. It’s also a pivotal point along the Trakia motorway. The altitude at Vakarel station stands at 822.037 meters.
Historical Significance
The majority of settlements in the Vakarel Mountains are considered peripheries due to their geographical location, historical development, ethnographic significance, and administrative structures. Records from travelers up to the mid-13th century confirm the existence of Vakarel. A document from Priest Vuche in 1738 mentions that the settlement was destroyed during the suppression of a rebellion led by the bishop of Samokov, Simeon, in 1737, related to the Austro-Turkish war of 1736-1739. The village was completely devastated between 1792 and 1798 due to attacks by brigands and internal conflicts in the Ottoman Empire. As a result, 24 village hamlets arose in more remote yet accessible areas of the Vakarel Mountains. Although none of the settlements bear the name Vakarel, the inhabitants refer to themselves as from Vakarel, specifying their particular hamlet as needed. In 1836, the community constructed the new “St. Nikolay” church and used the adjacent cemetery until 1900. They elected a single headman (muhtar, chorbadzhi). Prior to liberation, their children attended a school founded in 1856.
Community and Culture
The designation of the population in the Vakarel Mountains as a single community is also based on their shared linguistic traits, clothing styles, architectural features, and oral traditions. The administrative organization further supports viewing this region as a periphery. Until 1921, and again after 1959, all settlements formed a single municipality, known as Vakarel.
Administrative Evolution
The peripheral area of Vakarel has an oval shape, covering 153.9 square kilometers. Of this, 12.2 square kilometers fall within the Belishki portion, while the remaining 141.7 square kilometers belong to the Vakarel sector of the Ihtiman Forests. These territories saw the establishment and consolidation of 24 settlements or hamlets after their dispersal between 1792 and 1798.
To the left of the main diagonal road towards Plovdiv arose several hamlets, including Burdo with its smaller divisions, Gornata and Dolnata, and others like Buziakovci, Panovci, and many more, some of which were dissolved by the early 20th century due to various reasons. On the opposite side of the road, communities such as Balovci, Mlechanovci, and Krushovica emerged, with Krushovica dividing into Upper, Middle, and other sections. In the center of this area, near a watchtower, the Hanovete hamlet developed into the natural center of the peripheral region.
Current Administrative Status
Vakarel has always been considered an outer boundary of administrative and ecclesiastical units throughout various changes in administration made by both the Ottoman and Bulgarian authorities over the centuries. Just before liberation, Vakarel was included in the Ihtiman nahiya, Samokov kaza, Sofia sanjak, and Edirne vilayet. In the older Turkish administrative divisions, it usually belonged to the Ihtiman kaza or, when it did not exist, to the Samokov kaza and Sofia sanjak. Its vilayet affiliation shifted according to major administrative reorganizations by the Ottomans across different epochs.
It was also part of the Rumelian beylerbeylik with its capital at Sofia, which encompassed nearly all Ottoman European territories, as well as the Nish and Danube vilayets, with the capital at Ruse. Following the administrative reformation in 1978, Vakarel Municipality was incorporated into the larger Ihtiman Municipality.
