Architecture

Well as you might have guessed one of my favorite things, probably my favorite thing, about Prague was its architecture. Many of the buildings are very old, including churches and cathedrals that have existed for centuries. One aspect of the buildings in Prague that impressed me was how well maintained they were. This is in complete contrast to Bulgaria where there are also many old buildings, but they are not well maintained. The main reason for this is not money, which is the reason most Bulgarians would give, but rather will. The Czech people believe that it is important to maintain their buildings. They see the value of having a beautiful city for economic reasons, such as tourism, and national pride. This is a viewpoint that very few Bulgarians have. Bulgarians may be proud of what they have and where they have come from (as they should be), but they do not seem to see the value in improving it.
I recently taught a lesson that concerned architecture being the mother of all art forms. Through architecture it is possible to read a culture and its achievements like a book. When you look at the great pyramids of Egypt you are able to understand ancient Egypt's culture and scientific knowledge. This principle definitely applies to Bulgaria. If you want to understand Bulgarian people and their culture look at the buildings in the cities and villages.