Hajduk Atanas Tankoolu

Atanas Tankoolu, born around 1820 in Kalofer, was a Bulgarian revolutionary and hajduk who participated in the struggle to free the Bulgarian people from Ottoman rule. He began his struggle after 1840 and played a significant role in the history of the Bulgarian liberation movement.

In 1867, Atanas Tankoolu was joined by Penko Raykov and Hristo Parvanov, who strengthened and extended the scope of his activities. With their support, Tankoolu's area of operations expanded from the Kalofer region to Sarnena Sredna Gora and Thrace. This was periodically associated with preparations for, and the carrying out of, various uprisings and revolutionary actions against Ottoman rule. The participation of Atanas Tankoolu and his associates was connected with the struggle for autonomy and the liberation of the Bulgarian lands from Ottoman rule in the second half of the nineteenth century.