Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Sculptor Yusein Yusuf turns a fountain into a gallery in the forest

Photo: BTA

An art gallery in the middle of the forest – this is what eyewitnesses liken the roadside fountain with a gazebo near the village of Konche near Momchilgrad in the Rhodope Mountains to. The construction was started in 1985 by Yusuf's father, and a year later, when he passed away, the work was continued by his son.

Yusein Yusuf
When he returns to his native land from Turkey every summer, Yusuf, who works as a sculptor, step by step builds up and enriches the space around the fountain and the gazebo. Like the ancient Thracians, Romans and other cultures that passed through the Rhodope Mountains, he also dreams of leaving a mark. In return, he seeks the satisfaction of passers-by stopping to enjoy the roadside fountain. ‎


Four decades since the first stone was laid, the space has been filled with dozens of marble miniatures. Unfortunately, not all visitors treat their creations with care and preserve them.‎


‎"There are broken, stained and discarded marble slabs. I brought the marble from Izmir. But I'm not angry. I expect that there are people like that," Yusuf told BTA.‎


The master of the roadside fountain is already thinking about his next project, with which to enrich his art gallery in the midst of nature. He vows that as long as he lives, he will continue this work of his.‎



Photos: BTA


Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

A documentary about the composer and intellectual Dimitar Nenov is to be screened in New York

To celebrate the 120th anniversary of the birth of Bulgarian intellectual Dimitar Nenov, a screening of the music documentary Dimitar Nenov and the Dimensions of Elegance will take place on 11 November at the Consulate General of Bulgaria in New York,..

published on 11/10/25 3:21 PM

An exhibition in Riga marks the 140th anniversary of the Unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia

A special exhibition dedicated to the 140th anniversary of the Unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia has been presented in the Latvian capital, Riga. “In a most noble way” is the motto of Bulgaria’s Unification of 1885,..

published on 11/10/25 11:05 AM

Sofia marks 2,500 years since the foundation of Naples with a concert by Ars Nova Napoli

On 10 November, the European Music Festival will be offering music lovers a thrilling event. 2,500 years after the legendary Italian city of Naples was founded, Sofia will be celebrating the anniversary with a special event – a concert by Ars Nova..

published on 11/9/25 10:10 AM