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Kosovo is an old Bulgarian village situated 6 km south of the town of Naretshenski Bani, on the main road-axe from Plovdiv to Smolian. The place was settled at the beginning of the Ottoman occupation of the Balkans, when Bulgarians left the plains and sought refuge in the mountains.
During the five centuries of Ottoman domination, the Kossovars managed to gain a certain independance and were so hostile to the muslims that these called the place "Shaitan Kioi", which means "Devil's place". |
| At the end of the 19th century the village counted about 800 inhabitants and more than 30 000 sheep. It had its own school, a church and about 150 houses, all built in the very typical "Rhodopean style" using stones, timber and earth - all locally available materials.
With the arrival of the communists in 1948 and the massive nationalisation that followed, Kossovars prefered to leave their village in search for work in the surrounding towns. Most of them settled in Naretshenski Bani, the nearest small town that became a famous thermal resort. |
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They neglected their native place that started to deperish and that is nowadays almost completely abandoned. The 10 habitants that still remain are from 50 to 70 years old and they live a very quiet and retired life. |