On 9 October 2025, a monograph titled ‘Bulgarian Flintlock Guns in the Ottoman Empire 17th–19th centuries: Origin and Production, Types, Production Centres in Sliven and Gabrovo’ was presented at the Ethnographic Complex, the NEF ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ regional centre in Sliven. The book was published for the first time in Bulgaria in 2025.
In the complex’s House No. 1 hall, its authors, Ognyan Dobrikov and Violin Kalchev, presented their monograph, in which they conducted a comprehensive study of the establishment of firearms manufacture in the Ottoman Empire. They explored the expositions and stocks of more than fifty Bulgarian museums, as well as numerous private arsenals and collections on the subject. Scholars of Ottoman history were consultants for the book: Assoc. Prof. Gergana Georgieva, Dr Habil. Hist., Sts Cyril and Methodius Veliko Tarnovo University; Nikolay Todorov, Dr Habil. Hist., Director of the Regional History Museum in Silistra; and Aldjan Djafer, Dr Habil. Hist., History Museum in Omurtag.
The publication has one hundred and fifty-two colour pages, one hundred and ninety-two illustrations, and seven tables. The book, published by Ognyan Dobrikov, examines the origin, establishment and production of Bulgarian flintlock guns, as well as the emergence of Sliven as the largest weapons centre for forging barrels in the Ottoman Empire.
The event was organised by the Sliven Public Donation Fund.