Elmala baba teke

Elmala Baba Tekke is located in the Eastern Rhodopes mountain, near Bivolyane village (municipality Momchilgrad). This is a sacred place for the Muslims-alevii. It is assumed that the site was built in the XVII century, because there was found an inscription from this period, which is believed was done by the son of Elmala baba - Gunnar baba.

The complex is divided to male and female part. In the men`s room (dimensions 11 x 5. 5 meters) there are 6 nameless graves and it is assumed one of them belongs the Bektashi priest Elmala baba. These six graves are 3 meters long and the tombstones are oriented to the southwest. Over them are raised mounds, made of boards and covered with green cloth. The room is covered with hand-woven rugs and the walls are decorated with tapestries and portraits of saints and imams.

The Women`s section is devoted to Fatima (or Fatma) - revered as a patron of mothers and children, a daughter of the prophet Mohammed and wife of Hazreti Ali - the greatest saint of the muslums-alevi. The grave of Fatima is a simple wooden coffin, covered with a green canvas. On it is depicted a hand with an eye in the middle of the palm. Devotees believe that here were buried the right hand and the eye of the saint-woman. It is believed that the place is healing and there is a custom during the holiday, sick and childless women to sleep here, hoping for assistance from the saint.

In the region of Elmala Baba Tekke, each year in beginning of September, is held a fair of Muslim-alevi from all over Bulgaria.