Sacred places in Balkans as symbolic arena - example of Bulgaria

Abstract

Different religious and ethnic groups to acquire some common values in the same region over time are a phenomenon frequently observed, although there are different usage patterns of these values in the modern world. Today, the structure of the Balkans, which are rich in cultural diversity "memory space referred to as" lean over the holy places of the region, offers a broad perspective not only cultural but also political, religious, economic and to the social world.This study's subject of holy places, which has become a symbol of cultural diversity in the Balkans, is the starting point for the case of Bulgaria, the different religious-ethnic groups cultural heritage which has become the common values in the region are re-contextualizes and questioning today in terms of power relations. The purpose of this topic by examining the size of both historic and contemporary to create a holistic perspective, and to reveal the role of sacred, both in terms of cultural identity and the subsequent formation of power relations. For this purpose, the historical approach, as well as folklore, cultural anthropology, and sociology disciplines were encouraged to benefit from the methods and data.