Starting from this autumn, eight former Bulgarian rulers will welcome the guests of Hotel Simona Complex. The permanent exhibition called “Guests from the Past” is masterfully painted on the walls of the hotel’s first floor, as a reminder of the country’s glorious history.
The artworks depict 14 stories of Bulgaria’s development – from Khan Kubrat, through the Golden Century, to the dark ages under the Ottoman yoke and the subsequent awakening of the Bulgarian people prompted by Paisius of Hilendar. The paintings are arranged in chronological order. In addition, a deep blue sky is painted on the ceilings, showing four more stories from Bulgarian history. The small old-style wooden windows add to the atmosphere of bygone days, evoking the fee
ling that one is standing on a high street during the National Revival.
The artist, Emilia Dimitrova, has also used some interesting 3D techniques, such as embossed images showing the Pliska Rosette, the Eagle of Khan Asparuh, the Ring of Tsar Kaloyan and others.
But that is not all: a royal throne has been installed for the hotel’s guests, where they can have their picture taken against the background of Tsar Boris I and Tsar Simeon.
Simona Hotel’s second floor greets its visitors with 6 main and 5 additional landscapes from Bulgaria: the Rose Valley, the Balchik Garden and the Seven Rila Lakes.
The hotel’s owner, Monika Ivanova, came up with the idea of transforming the complex’ corridors into true masterpieces of art. She explained, “The idea originated from the fact that Sofia itself tells very little about our wonderful history, the greatness of our nation, our rich history of both ups and downs. Tourists only see dust, squalor and dirt. This is not Bulgaria! I have always been sentimental about our predecessors and homeland and having a sense of belonging. So I wanted the corridors, and the hotel on the whole, to be a reference for tourists, who, with a little digging, can learn more about this country and thereby avoid making the wrong conclusions on the basis of their disgust from our dirty capital. Every hotel tries to build its own unique identity, and I chose this one.”
The official opening is scheduled for this autumn!
