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The church is relatively new built in 1934 following the initiative of three citizens. The construction workers were from Petkovo village, Smolyian municipality. The church was consecrated in 1936 by Kiril - the bishop of Plovdiv who later became Patriarch of the Bulgarian Church.
The complex is one of the earliest on the territory of the Eastern Rhodopes – built in the XVII century. An inscription near the turbe (a worshipped symbolic grave) in the yard says that it is the resting place of Guner baba. He was the son of the Bektashian priest Elmala baba, after whom the complex was named. The turbe consists of six graves and an octagonal rosette on the common roof.
The local people know the church as “St. Petka”. Two architectural periods can be outlined in its construction – 1886 and 1913. The royalty row includes 6 icons ordered according to the canone and the apostoles row includes 20 icons. The iconostasis, icons, bishop’s throne and church plate are typical for the small village churches.
The complex is located on a hill between the villages of Gorno Prahovo and Dolno Prahovo. It consists of a mosque, medrese (Islamic school), stone tap with a donative sign and a tomb (turbe). The complex is strengthened with stone walls.
It is an impressive building recently renovated that is located close to the centre of the village. It is also a working religious temple visited by all the believers in the region. In the yard of the mosque is preserved a centuries old oak tree described above.
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This internet portal has been created within the framework of project “Creation of a marketing tourist product – “own brand” of Region Kardzhali through the exchange of know-how and best practices in cooperation with The Hague Region”, contract ¹ BG161PO001/4.2-01/2008/033 which is realized with the financial support of Operating Programme “Regional Development” 2007-2013, co-funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund.
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The sole responsibility for the content of the internet portal lies with Foundation “Radio New Europe” and under no circumstances can it be deemed that the information contained therein reflects an official stand of the European Commission and the Managing Authority.