The Firman (royal decree) of 1773, issued by Sultan Mustafa III, regulated a new way of constructing and functioning of the established for centuries organization of craftsmen in the Ottoman Empire. The established guilds in various branches united qualified craftsmen. The guild was headed by a first master (proto-master, chief master), an elective position for one or more years, which was held by an older master with authority and reputation in the trade. Larger guilds also had an “igitbashiya” – a deputy to the first master, a treasurer and a “chaush (armed guard)”. Decisions were made by the general assembly of the masters in the guild – the so called “longja”.  The londja proclaimed the squires as masters, settled disputes, imposed punishments, etc. The “chaush” was in charge of organizing and executing the general affairs.

New masters were officially awarded this title after having been trained as apprentices, squires, and journeyman and after successfully completing a mastery task. The masters who trained them came before the guild and stated their reasons for the Kalfa (journeyman) to be recognized as master. If the guild approved, the official awarding of the title of master took place at a ceremony at the guild – tester. At this ceremony, the chief master put a leather apron on the journeyman, which meant that he was now a master. The newly proclaimed master received the tools of the trade, in this case the level tube, kissed the hand of all the masters, sometimes gave small gifts and had to pay a fee “küshe parasa” into the treasury of the guild. These young masters, still without their own practice (called “bashkali”), usually continued to work on the teams of the chief masters.

St. Apostle Thomas’s day is Builders’ day (19th  October), because St. Thomas is the patron saint of builders.

At the beginning of the 19th century, wood-carvers and builders from the region of Tryavna proved their skills before the “res-dulger” (builders’) guild. With the increased construction of church buildings with richly carved decoration, of new and representative houses for the wealthier landlords, in the heyday of the Bulgarian Revival, work increased. The builders separated and set up their own organization, the “Builders’ Ruffet”. 

After the Liberation, the state regulated the craftsmen’s work with the “Law on guilds” and the guilds once again became regulated. In Tryavna, the certificates of the builders were issued by the “Builders’ and Masons’ Guild”. The law recognized the legal capacity of the already established builders and they are listed with several trades – “builder, mason, carpenter, suvadzhya”.

In 1914 the right to recognize the craftsmanship of builders was first granted to the Plovdiv Chamber of Commerce and Industry and after 1914 to the Varna Chamber of Commerce and Industry. After a training course and passing an examination, a master’s certificate was issued not only to builders – building constructors, but also to masons, plasterers, carpenters and other specialists. In these certificates the craftsmanship was strictly profiled.

Depending on the difficulty of the examinations before the chambers of commerce and industry, builders were awarded the titles of “urban” or “rural” craftsmen. Urban craftsmen were required to have more skills and knowledge. They were allowed to be commissioned the construction of buildings worth up to £500,000.