Dutch Collector Unveils Bulgaria’s Largest Outdoor Rugs Exhibition

Hundreds of admirers of traditional Bulgarian carpet craftsmanship gathered in the village of Iglika for the "Iglika Kilim Fest," a celebration that turned the local meadows into an open-air museum. The event showcased what is believed to be the country’s largest outdoor display of antique hand-woven rugs (kilim), organized by the village's community center with support from Gabrovo Municipality’s Culture Fund. The festival also lent its support to Gabrovo’s bid to become the European Capital of Culture.

The centerpiece of the event was the private collection of Dutch national Jacob van Beilen, a passionate advocate for Bulgaria’s intangible cultural heritage. Nearly 1,000 rugs - 965 to be exact - were displayed across a ten-acre area in the heart of the village, known as the Stone Nest of the Gabrovo Fore-Balkan. These rugs come from every major Bulgarian carpet-weaving tradition: Chiprovtsi, Kotel, Sliven, Teteven, Karlovo, Kalofer, Samokov, Ludogorie, and others, with additional pieces originating from abroad. Visitors could also admire colorful children's drawings exhibited alongside rugs laid out across stone benches and pathways.

Jacob van Beilen, who currently resides in Veliko Tarnovo, shared his long-term vision during the festival’s opening. He explained that over the past year and a half, he has committed himself to a new goal - founding a National Museum of Bulgarian Carpet Weaving. He emphasized that such an institution should represent the full spectrum of Bulgaria’s ethnographic regions, rather than focus on a single style like those from Kotel or Chiprovtsi.

Last year, van Beilen took a selection of his collection to Paris. But he sees the future of the full collection - now surpassing 1,000 items - as lying firmly in Bulgaria. However, he firmly believes the eventual museum should not be located in Sofia, nor should it be confined to the heritage of one carpet-weaving school. His vision is for a national space that acknowledges and preserves the diversity and depth of Bulgarian textile tradition.