Opening the stacks
Opening the stacks
Borders are depicted as liminal spaces where different geographies, histories, and identities converge and blur, creating zones of both division and connection.
4 chapters across 1 book
The preface of 'Border' introduces the author's journey to the tri-border region of Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, exploring its complex history as Europe's last Cold War frontier and a unique wilderness. Kassabova reflects on the symbolic and political significance of borders as sites of power, division, and human stories, while also expressing a personal desire to reconnect with her Balkan roots and the people living in this liminal space. The narrative frames the borderland as both a physical and psychological threshold, infused with ancient myth, contemporary conflict, and ecological richness.
The chapter describes the last cheshma called Kreynero, meaning 'cold water' in Greek, located near a no-man’s-forest on an old road to Turkey. The water is notably cold, heavy, and refreshing, with a Soviet star carved on its basin, symbolizing the layered history of the border region. Drinking from Kreynero is said to bind visitors to the valley between Bulgaria and Turkey, a place that feels stateless and liminal.
The chapter reflects on the historical and contemporary presence of 'ghosts'—metaphorical figures representing displaced people and refugees—around Silk Town in Thrace, a border region between Europe and Asia. It contrasts the poetic remembrance of past figures like Mustafa Pasha by the 17th-century traveller Evliya Çelebi with the silent suffering of modern migrants who are stuck in limbo, unable to begin new lives due to bureaucratic and geopolitical barriers. The text highlights the enduring nature of borders as spaces of transition, loss, and waiting.
The chapter explores the concept of the 'eternal return' as described by Mircea Eliade, connecting it to the author's personal experience on the Black Sea coast near the Turkish-Bulgarian border. It reflects on the liminal nature of this borderland, where history, myth, and geography converge, evoking a sense of timelessness and continuity with the past. The narrative also touches on local cultural practices, geopolitical tensions, and the mystical atmosphere of the region's natural and historical landscape.