View of a partially ruined, sericulture, brick house in the old village of Mandritsa, Eastern Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria - stock photo

Mandritsa, Eastern Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria; August 13, 2020; View of a partially ruined, sericulture, brick house in the old village of Mandritsa, Eastern Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria. Mandritsa is located on the right bank of the Byala Reka in the easternmost Rhodope Mountains, 15 km south of Ivaylovgrad. Today, Mandritsa is a small village of around 70 residents, part of them still speaking a distinct Tosk Albanian dialect. The village has well-preserved Greek-style adobe and brick houses which represent the Thracian style featuring wood-carved ceilings, wrought-iron balconies, and columns. The main occupations were sericulture, tobacco growing, manufacture, and trade.