Today, the Regional Ethnographic Museum in Plovdiv officially opened a brand-new, modern souvenir shop. The store is located at the iconic address of 20 Saborna Street in the Old Town, inside the Nevena Atanasova House.

The main counter is designed in the shape of a vintage iron – a symbolic reference to the building’s future role. By the end of the year, it will house the long-awaited permanent exhibition with an open storage concept: “The World of the Iron”. Museum experts have been working on the exhibition for the past two years as part of a large-scale project supported by the Ministry of Culture.

“This will be the most technologically advanced exhibition we’ve ever created. I’m happy that Plovdiv continues to offer new and exciting experiences for tourists, while our museums are being modernized and expanded. We had reached a point where there was simply no more space to present our valuable collections and artifacts,”
commented Plamen Panov, Deputy Mayor for Culture, Tourism and Archaeology, at the official opening.
He praised the design of the new shop and emphasized that it’s a wonderful addition for Plovdiv’s guests.

“The opening of this contemporary souvenir shop is just the first big step toward something even greater, which our museum will unveil by the end of the year. We chose today—Faith, Hope, and Love Day—as our symbolic starting point, because we believe that nothing can be achieved without blessing, luck, and abundance. We also hope to welcome the first visitors to the new exhibition on another meaningful date—the Day of the Christian Family, November 21,
said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Angel Yankov, Director of the Regional Ethnographic Museum – Plovdiv.

The new shop has already welcomed its first visitors, who were pleasantly surprised by the unique items on offer—many of which can’t be found anywhere else. A large portion of the items—such as handmade ceramic vessels, silver ornaments, and gemstone jewelry—are specially crafted by experienced artisans with whom the museum has long-standing partnerships.

Souvenirs shaped like irons will play a prominent role, and a new line of miniature iron replicas is also in development. Among the displays, visitors will even find magical items—such as a black tea cup that reveals the Titanic when a hot drink is poured into it, floating on the waves of love.

Once the new exhibition opens, the souvenir shop will also serve as a ticket center where visitors can purchase entrance passes. In its efforts to create a fresh, original space—different from the usual souvenir shops—the Regional Ethnographic Museum collaborated with renowned designers and external specialists, including the architectural team from Oarch Studio. The goal is to offer services that are not only professionally curated, but also contemporary and engaging.

As part of this transformation, the museum also unveiled its new visual identity in July.