site.btaValdobrev's The Acoustics of Bulgaria Captures Obrochishte’s Historic Imaret

Stefan Valdobrev and The Usual Suspects recorded and filmed part of The Acoustics of Bulgaria inside the imaret at Tekke Ak Yazala Baba – St Athanasius in Obrochishte on Sunday. The 15th-century complex, revered by Christians and Muslims alike, is famed for its layered history and distinctive atmosphere.

“This site is truly special,” Valdobrev said. He first visited in 2021 after years of driving past the tekke en route to Balchik or Durankulak without stopping to learn more.

“I love travelling by car and observing,” he added. “During one of the lockdowns, after a year and a half without work, I simply drove. Coming down from Balchik my car seemed to stop of its own accord in the car park. An elderly woman began telling me about the place and its energy, which I felt immediately.”

Inside the former inn, once known for welcoming all faiths, Stoian Yankoulov-Stundji played drums while Veselin Veselinov-Eko performed on double bass.

“When I saw how many cultures and energies had accumulated here, I decided we should record And We Imagine in the imaret,” Valdobrev said. “I was drawn by the large hearth and the wooden roof’s natural acoustics.”

Veselinov-Eko added that the area holds personal significance.

“My late parents were doctors in Balchik and spoke all their lives about these places,” he said. “Every summer my father ... drove me past the tekke, pointing it out. For me Balchik will always be exciting, and I am happy whenever I am nearby.”

Tekke Ak Yazala Baba – St Athanasius, often called The Monastery, may stand on an earlier pagan sanctuary. Key structures include the turbe (mausoleum) and the imaret (inn), the Historical Museum in Balchik notes.

The Acoustics of Bulgaria sessions began on August 1 at the prehistoric site Provadia-Solnitsata, then moved to Varna’s Roman Thermae before reaching Obrochishte. BTA is the project’s main media partner.