site.btaMajor World Collector of Bulgarian Kilims Sets up Foundation to Document, Research and Preserve Bulgarian Kilim Heritage

A prominent Dutch collector of Bulgarian kilims has launched a foundation dedicated to preserving and promoting Bulgaria’s rich kilim tradition. The foundation aims to build, maintain, and document a national collection of Bulgarian kilims, while also researching the full scope of the country’s weaving heritage, the Dutch-born Bulgaria-based Jacob van Beelen told BTA.

Van Beelen owns the richest private collection of 1,044 authentic century-old kilims from various parts of Bulgaria and has been dedicated to preserving and popularizing  the Bulgarian tradition in making flat-weave carpets, or kilims.

The new kilim foundation that van Beelen chairs will register Bulgarian kilims found not only in local museums, churches, monasteries, mosques, and public buildings but also those held in collections abroad. It plans to develop a comprehensive library of literature on kilims and raise awareness of Bulgarian kilim art through conferences, lectures, publications, seminars, media campaigns, and online platforms.

To achieve its goals, the foundation will support projects related to the Bulgarian kilim tradition, including the creation of a National Kilim Museum in Bulgaria. It will also conduct research, develop strategies, and participate in regional, national, and international initiatives to keep this craft alive. By organizing educational events and encouraging external research, the foundation hopes to secure the future of Bulgarian kilim craftsmanship as an important part of the nation's cultural heritage.

Van Beelen told BTA over a year ago that his kilims are “a feast for the eye” that must be shared with others.

April to June 2024, he had 41 kilims from Chiprovtsi, Pirot, and Kotel from his collection displayed at the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Paris. The exhibition was titled “Stories in Colour. 350 Years of Bulgarian Kilim Tradition” and was a major success: hundreds attended the opening event and people even travelled from foreign countries to visit the exhibition.

Currently, van Beelen manages four simultaneous kilim exhibitions across Bulgaria. Since June 21, 2024, about 60 kilims are on permanent display in five thematic halls at the Han Hadji Nikoli Museum in Veliko Tarnovo. In Plovdiv’s Ethnographic Museum, two rare antique Kotel kilims from 1869 and the late 19th century are featured as part of a larger Kotel exhibition, running from May through September, with a bilingual catalog available for visitors. Additionally, the Historic Museum in Razlog hosts 37 kilims representing all Bulgarian regions from mid-June to late July. The House of Handicrafts in Bansko also exhibits 12 kilims from across Bulgaria during the same period.

Permanent exhibition in the heart of Sofia

On the same day the foundation was established, van Beelen signed a contract with Antika World for a permanent kilim exhibition in the newly redesigned TZUM building in the heart of Sofia.

“It will not only be a permanent exhibition of Bulgarian kilims: all will go with full documentation about them. Also, there will be regular workshops in dyeing, kilim design and weaving. The Antika shop will offer kilim books and kilim related souvenirs.

The Chiprovtsi kilim tradition is on the UNESCO list of intangible heritage.