Kapana (The Trap)

The Kapana neighbourhood is in the very centre of Plovdiv. It sprang up as a seat of craftsmanship around what used to be an inn, Kurshum han (situated where today’s Tsentralni hali shopping centre is). The name of the neighbourhood (Kapana translates as ‘the trap’) is meaningful as it is a labyrinth of narrow streets; the streets are named after the crafts that were most popular back in the day: Abadzhiyska (tailoring and trading in overclothes), Kozhuharska (working with leather), Zhelezarska (making and repairing things made of iron), Zlatarska (working with gold), etc. Well known sites are in close proximity to the Kapana and are included in its calling card, as it were: the Dzhumaya mosque, the Roman Stadium, the Old Town. In the last few years it has been transformed into an area of the creative industries. Festivals and other cultural and creative events take place there, which provokes the interest of local residents and foreign visitors.