Background

The Trakya Regional Association of Municipalities unifies municipalities located in the Upper Thracian Lowland, as well as municipalities from neighboring geographic areas. The Thracians who have inhabited these lands in the past had created well-developed spiritual and material culture. Evidence of that period may be seen in the areas to the south of the Balkan Mountain Range, where the most significant settlements of ancient Thracian culture have been preserved. The municipalities from the Thracian region are centers of ancient culture and spiritual life and play a leading role in the modern socio-economic development of our country.

Practice

The idea to publish a book that would present the historic heritage of the municipalities members of the Trakya Regional Association of Municipalities was based on the necessity to expose the complexity and the variety of Thracian culture as a prerequisite for the preservation of numerous values. The publication presents the municipalities as extremely attractive archaeological and tourist sites. The book was published with USAID support.

The publication is in both Bulgarian and English. It contains detailed and specific information on the history of the municipalities, the preserved monuments of culture, the inherited traditions and customs, the cultural events and the landmarks. The information is illustrated by many photos provided by the municipal administrations and the ethnographic and history museums in the respective municipalities.

The publication provides information on the population and the size of the municipalities, together with a small map of each municipality. It also contains data on the location, climate and the major industries, as well as contact information for the mayors. The book is given to foreign guests, business people and diplomats. Bulgarian and foreign historians and archaeologists use it as a valuable manual on the historic and cultural heritage of the Thracian region. The publication targets also potential investors who would like to invest in the development of cultural activities and to support financially the completion of archaeological excavations and analyses.

Results

This unique publication contains information about the municipalities from the Thracian region. It has raised a great interest among both municipal employees and foreign experts. In a summary, the results from the dissemination of the publication are the following:

The readers enrich their knowledge about the history of the municipalities from the region and about the inherited traditions and customs;
The publication is a useful reference for museums and monuments of culture in the region;
The publication creates prerequisites for attracting investors who would support financially cultural activities and the completion of historic and archaeological studies in the municipalities.