It covered the square at the foot of Dzhambaz Tepe and the nearby streets, the beginning of the former Sadovo Street (now Iv. Karadzhov Street) and part of Tsarigradsko Shose. It preserved the typical atmosphere of Plovdiv life from the first years after the Liberation.
Wine lovers and connoisseurs felt best in the Tepealta neighborhood. There were many taverns and they were all crowded. Regular visitors knew each other, and if a stranger showed up, they asked questions and wondered who he might be and where he was coming from.
The chit-chat began at ten o'clock, until noon. Mastic, dzhibrovitsa, and slivovitsa yellow as amber were drunk. Appetizers were also served with it: beans with red onions, green beans with yogurt and garlic, olives, caviar, fish on a piece of bread, roasted garlic, cucumber, lettuce, radishes. It was like this in every pub.
The hours went by imperceptibly and no one wanted to leave. Before leaving, it was obligatory to go through the counter to settle the bill. And there - they ended up with another drink for goodbye!
On Rila Square (now Vazrazhdane Square) between P. R. Slaveykov Street and Mitropolit Panaret Street was the notorious pub of Moraliyata. They made coffee and every morning before he went to work at the Boys’ High School, Petko Slaveykov drank his first coffee there.
At the end of July 1891, Dimitar Blagoev held the first meeting there after the congress of Buzludzha, and after they were chased, he hid in the nearby Novoselski khan.
In Moraliyata, everything was merry and noisy. There was no room for worries. There was also a lantern in the tavern, played by Sadetin (former gypsy chief). He seldom got drunk, but the treats weren’t late, and at such moments Moraliyata was most pleased, as the mood rose and orders poured in one after another. People came to the place to have fun!
The grill in the restaurant was also famous. As soon as the crackling of the fat and the chattering of the meatballs were heard, everyone turned their heads impatiently to see if the apprentice was carrying his plate — kebabs, meatballs, juicy skewers, red livers, fillets, sausages, and steaks. And next to the grill itself there were also: bombar, intestines, tripe and finally - roasted goat pastrami! And so every day, every night!
Very close to Moraliyata was the Tavern of the Hen. This was the nickname of the container because his speech was like a that of the a chicken. Mihalcho later settled in the same room. We’ve told you about hum in our article about 5 old Plovdiv pubs, which no longer exist.
There were also many inns in Tepealta. People who didn’t want to go to a tavern, went there! Their furnishing was modest, and there were no servants or menus. Several pots were simply lined up on the stove, and everyone lifted the lid to choose.
Well, that was the situation in one of the most remarkable neighborhoods at the time!
The article is based on information from the book Plovdiv Chronicle by Nikola Alvadzhiev
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