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Bov

Bov is a village in western Bulgaria. It is located in the Municipality of Svoge, Sofia district, 57 km north of the city of Sofia.

Geography
The village of Bov is located in a mountainous area, in the Murgash area of  Western Stara Planina. It is situated between the peaks of Garvan, Yavorets and Kolibiste, at the western foot of Izdrimets peak (1493m). To the north it borders the village of Lakatnik, to the south – the village of Leskovdol, to the west – the village of Gara Bov and the village of Gabrovnitsa. There are a total of 10 caves and precipices known in the village of Bov. The largest is the Mechata Dupka Cave, with a total length of the galleries -564 m.

History
The inhabitants of the village of Bov have created a legend, serving as a tourist attraction. According to it, the village bears the name of the French knight Saint de Boeuf, captured by the warriors of Tsar Kaloyan, who became his vassal. After the death of Emperor Baldwin Flanders in 1206, the marquis received the favor of the Bulgarian ruler to settle with his companions on the land of today’s village. The traditional congregation of the village of Bov is celebrated every year at the church feast Spasovden.

Prior to the railway line, the houses at Gara Bov were only three. The population movement from the village of Bov to Gara Bov is the strongest in the period 1956-1957, when the inhabitants of the village of Bov decreased from 1557 to 533, while at the same time the inhabitants of Gara Bov increased to 1777 people. Later, the municipality was moved to Gara Bov and was joined by the villages of Zasele, Zimevitsa, Zanoge, Gubislav, and, for a short time, the village of Lakatnik.