“Elmala Baba Tekke” village of Bivolyane
It is located about 30 km in the direction of Kardzhali – Momchilgrad – the village of Bivolyane. A “teke” refers to a ritual complex of buildings, among which the most significant is a heptagonal temple-tomb. This is a shrine built over the grave of a respected, high-ranking person or sage (dervish), revered by the local Muslim population. The complex includes a dervish lodge (for wise men), a madrasa (a girls’ religious school), and two adjoining chambers containing a total of seven tombs – türbes. This türbe has no equivalent in Bulgaria.
