The Valley of the Thracian Rulers
There are less than one hundred Thracian stone-built under-tumular constructions in Bulgaria that are usually called tombs. Most of them were found half demolished or were demolished subsequently. The only Thracian town Seuthopolis was found excavated approximately a dozen of kilometers away from Kazanlak and this gave the grounds the Kazanlak valley to be given the name “The Valley of the Thracian rulers”. Some of the biggest tombs and tumuli are:
The Thracian tomb in Kazanlak
It is located in the romantic Valley of Roses, near the town of Kazanlak. This is one of the most remarkable creations of the Thracian culture, included in the World Register of Historical Sites in 1979. It dates back to the end of the 4 century BC. The tholos is unique with the Hellenic time murals. The frescoes depict the life of the Thracian tribe leader buried in the tomb.
Ostrusha
An impressive wall painting decoration is preserved in the grave-and-cult complex in Ostrusha tumulus near Shipka, which was found in 1993. With its height of 20 m it is one of the biggest tumuli in the region. A spiral-like road was constructed to make easier the access to the top and it is partly preserved now. At the time of its discovery it was the most complicated and largest Thracian temple ever known.
The Svestari tomb
It is located in a region declared an archaeological reserve, near the town of Razgrad. 2300 years ago master stonemasons erected the tomb of a Thracian king. Perfect as architecture, it amazes both with its wealth of sculptural ornaments – the caryatides below the vault, rosettes, stylized ox heads, garlands, colonnades, as well as the ritual of heroization painted in vibrant colors. A remarkable monument of Thracian art – it is included in the World Register of Historical Sites in 1985.
The Thracian complex by Starosel
Tomb beside the Plovdiv village Starosel is unveiled in 2000. The site has been dated as from the 4-5 c. BC. The grave and its surrounding are thought by archaeologists to have been an important religious site for Thracian dating from the Stone Age. The two-chamber tomb is approached by stair and a corridor. It is surrounded by a 263 yard long wall made out of some 4000 stone blocks and was hidden under a 20 m high mound of earth. The inner walls are covered by ornate stone blats. The dome is decorated with a stone frieze in red, black, green and blue colors.
The Perpericon Palace
The palace and its fortress are considered to be the ancient and mysterious capital of the Odryss kingdom. The palace was at least on three floors, according to the holes in the rocks. The complex was of very great religious importance not only for the Thracians, but for the whole ancient world - Greeks, Persians and Macedonians. The complex existed for almost 3000 years. Later, it was a very important fortress of Byzantine, Latin Empire and Bulgaria. The enormous water basin for its defenders still exists and can be used again. The only one existing golden seal of the Bulgarian king Ivan-Alexander was found in that fortress.
The Madara Horseman
An unusual place – a plateau rises in the middle of a plain which, when viewed from the west, resembles a petrified waterfall. At a height of 23 meters the figure of a horseman has been hewn into the sheer rock, piercing a lion with his spear, and flanked on both sides by inscriptions reflecting the military and political power of the First Bulgarian Empire. This symbol of Bulgarian statesmanship is the only one of its kind in the whole of Europe. Monumental in design and execution, the Madara Horseman is a magnificent message from the early Middle Ages.
Boyana Church
It is located at the foot of the Vitosha Mountain in the Sofia suburb of Boyana. The church’s unique feature is its murals. Even today, more than seven centuries later, they still stun visitors with their beauty, expressiveness and deep humaneness. Besides saints and martyrs the unknown artist has also painted the figures of the donors – Kaloyan and Desislava – and the royal couple King Constantine and Queen Irina.
The National Museum of History
The National Museum of History in Sofia is one of the largest history museums on the Balkans with 533.000 objects and largest archaeological and historical archive. The Museum's collections are its greatest treasure. They contain material remains from ancient and mediaeval cultures in the Bulgarian Lands: Prehistoric cultures in Bulgaria; Ancient Thrace - monuments and finds; Macedonian and Hellenistic period; Roman Empire period monuments from Thrace and Moesia; Byzantine Empire art and culture from Bulgaria; First and Second Bulgarian Kingdom culture; Ottoman rule of Bulgarian lands – materials; Bulgarian National Revival culture; Modern Bulgarian history.
The Archaeological Museum in Varna
The Archaeological Museum holds one of the country’s richest collections: 55000 exhibits from the Old Stone Ages to the Late Middle Ages. The exhibition is chronologically arranged showing step by step materials from the various historic stages following the development of human society in the course of millennia in the Varna region. Close attention is given to the development of the town of Odessos – Varna from the moment of its foundation in the Early Antiquity till the Late Mediaeval period. A special treasury displays priceless gold jewels and amazing ancient toreutic works. The icon and church plate exposition is very impressive. There is the Old Craft Gold in the world. |
