SPARTACUS
He was born on the territory of present-day town of Sandanski (south-western Bulgaria) and as an adolescent was sold into slavery in
ancient Rome. Later he became the legendary gladiator that led the biggest slave uprising in the Antiquity.
ORPHEUS
Orpheus was known for his incredible talent as a musician and singer. He was born near the present
village of Guella in the Rhodope mountain a little before the Trojan war. The legend tells that he was the
greatest singer of all time and even the wild animals stopped to listen to his music. Also he took part in the quest of the Argonauts together with
Jason and Heracles.
THE BULGARIANS
They were the basic ethnic component in the structure of the Mediaeval Bulgarian State. Their original
home land was in Central Asia, in the mountainous region of Pamir. As a highly developed civilization they had culturally dominated the territories
of central Asia for a long time. In the middle of the 7th century Khan Asparuh united the ancient Thracian nation and the Slavic tribes and founded
the mighty Bulgarian Kingdom on the crossroad with Asia and Africa.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM BULGARIAN PLENTIFUL HERITAGE
Bulgaria has a 1322 years of history, since 681 A.D.
Bulgaria has harbored and developed culture in 2 alphabets - the Cyrillic
(9th century) and the Glagolitic (862), courtesy of Saints Cyril & Methodius
(Cyrillic is the basis of most languages spoken in Eastern Europe today)
Bulgaria is the first Slavic nations that adopted Christianity.
Bulgaria was once one of the 3 biggest empires in Europe among the
Frankish, and the Byzantine (it spanned between the Mediterranean, the
Black, and the White Seas).
Bulgaria preserved its ethnic identity, religion, and culture after 200 years
Byzantine and 500 years Turkish yokes!
Bulgaria, in its modern history never lost a battle and never lost a
flag, captured by its enemies' armies.
Bulgaria in its modern history saved the lives of its 50,000-strong
Jewish population, despite ill-fated and ill-judged alliance with Nazi
Germany!
Bulgaria’s “Izlel e Delio Haidutin” folk song was sent in deep space on
the board of the US Space Probe -Voyager I as part of a collection of our
Civilization's finest cultural artifacts - a message to an alien intelligence!
Bulgaria gave birth to numerous scientists, artists, and athletes (among
whom is John Atanasoff –the inventor of the computer)
The oldest gold in the world dated 8000 years back is with Thracian origin
Rogozen treasure - discovered in the winter of 1985-1986 in north-west Bulgaria, is the largest single collection of ancient treasure
ever found in south-eastern Europe. The 165 pieces of silver in this hoard
weigh almost 20 kilograms and were found in two groups of 100 and 65, placed
five meters apart at only 0.4 meters depth. This immense hoard,
accumulated over nearly 150 years from the mid-5th century to the last
quarter of the 4th century BC, includes vessels from specific workshops in
Anatolia, Eastern Greece, Southern Thrace, and North-western Thrace.
Panagyurishte treasure - while digging for clay for brick making near the town of
Panagyurishte in Sredna Gora mountain, Central Bulgaria, a team of
workmen came upon what was obviously an important treasure. When finally
unearthed, it was found to consist of a phial and eight rhytons, one shaped
like an amphora and the others like heads of women or animals. Dated to the
turn of the fourth and third century BC, the find was sensational, not only
for its weight in gold - over 6 kg, but also for the originality of its form
and ornaments.
Kazanlak tomb in south Bulgaria is famous for its beautiful
wall paintings of the early 3rd century BC, one of the most unique
masterpieces of Early Hellenistic pictorial art. Despite the small surface
containing the decorative friezes, the unknown artist has created an
exceptional work of art. This tomb was built during the reign of king
Seuthes III, either for him personally or for close relatives among the
nobility.
Shipka tomb - include seven tombs recently uncovered in the south foothills of the Balkan Range. They consist of
developed façades, each notably different from one another. Not
surprisingly, most of these tombs had been robbed in ancient times, with
only one remaining untouched by treasure-hunters.
Karanovska mound - extremely unique remains of pottery and other household ware dating back to the late
Paleolithic and the early Neolithic Ages found near the town of Nova Zagora.
Because of that, Karanovska mound is called "the Noah's Ark of the European
civilization".
Mogilanska mound - yielded in the town of Vratsa, during 1965-1966 excavations in the heart of the city, three stone tombs of noble
Thracian chiefs. In the main chamber skeletons of an adult man and a
young man were found with two silver jugs, four inscribed phialai, bronze
Greek vessels, and arms including a wood quiver (gorythos) with many
bronze arrowheads, iron spearheads, a bronze Chalkidian type helmet and a
silver-gilt greave (knemis) The younger man, who had been killed by
an iron spearhead, wore an elegant gold head wreath, gold earrings, gold
buttons, pendants and rosette-shaped appliqués. In the third Vratsa
tomb, partly robbed in antiquity were skeletons of a man and a woman with
gold and silver jugs, gold jewellery, votive clay objects, a quiver with
arrowheads, and iron spearheads. The gold jug shows two galloping
four-horsed chariots with a man in a hauberk. The dating of the Vratsa
tombs, based on several Attic pottery vessels, is about 375-340 BC. |
