Bansko is among those Bulgarian towns that play a noteworthy role in the historic development of the country, especially during Revival period. Most of its unique achievements, nowadays, lie in the genuine houses of Banskalii with their tall pinewood gates and carved ceilings, while others are preserved in the total architecture and the fine iconostasis of its churches and the daring brushstroke of all icons, painted here. So, the initial history of this town dates back in far ancient times. It could be really surprising for you that according to various legends and local tales, some of which claim historic truthfulness, the founding of Bansko took place in the period of the total Ottoman invasion in Bulgaria around fifteenth or sixteenth century. So, Bansko was mentioned for the first time as a finished centralized settlement in an Ottoman register from 1576. Previously its population has inhabited several small hamlets.

Fortunately, the total lack of any data about the development of this region in earlier times has been, to some extent, filled by later archaeological excavation and investigations. Their findings were significantly various and could illustrate all historic periods from prehistory and antiquity even up to the Middle Ages. The current town is already a well-known center of a whole "necklace" of ancient settlements and was obviously founded by their initial residents. Thus, during the obscure years of the cruel Ottoman rule, Bansko became a firm stronghold of the unique Bulgarian spirit. And in addition, this settlement enjoyed quite surprising status of limited autonomy within the rest Ottoman Empire. Afterwards, the natural spirit of entrepreneurship of the Bansko residents and their constant strife for innovation were the base for the unbelievable economic and spiritual upsurge in the town around the end of the seventeenth and beginning of eighteenth centuries. Then has gradually emerged a wealthy class of craftsmen and merchants and they carried goods with caravans from the Aegean to Central and Western Europe. Through them most of the biggest achievements of European material and spiritual culture reached Bansko and played a virtually beneficial role on the later development of its population.