Kazanlak Tomb
The Thracian tomb of Kazanlak is a unique aesthetic and artistic work, a masterpiece of the Thracian creative spirit. part of the UNESCO World Heritage This monument is the only one of its kind anywhere in the world. The tomb dates from the Hellenistic period, around the end of the 4th century BC. It is located near Seutopolis, the capital city of the Thracian king Seutes III, and is part of a large Thracian necropolis. The tholos has a narrow corridor and a round burial chamber, both decorated with murals representing Thracian burial rituals and culture. These paintings are Bulgaria’s best-preserved artistic masterpieces from the Hellenistic period.The exceptionally well preserved frescos and the original condition of the structure reveal the remarkable evolution and high level of culture and pictorial art in Hellenistic Thrace.
Golyama Kosmatka
Golyama Kosmatka mound kept one of the biggest and best preserved aristocratic graves in Bulgaria. Built in the 5th Century BC, the tomb had a 13-metre corridor. A marble door protected a circular chamber with a 4.5-metre cupola. The rectangular burial chamber was hewn into a 60 tonne monolith and contained a variety of expensive weapons and precious objects, including a beautiful gold wreath. The most astonishing find from Golyama Kosmatka, however, was a masterfully cast bronze head of a man with an unruly beard and strong features. The head was probably a depiction of Seuthes himself, and may have been cut from an actual, life-sized statue of this Thracian king.
Sveshtari
The Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari is considered to be the grave of Dromichaetes who was a king of the Getae on both sides of the lower Danube around 300 BC, and his wife, the daughter of King Lysimachus who was a general of Alexander the Great. The tomb is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Discovered in 1982, this 3rd-century BC Thracian tomb reflects the fundamental structural principles of Thracian cult buildings. The Thracian Tomb near Sveshtari is an extremely rare and very well preserved monument of the sepulchral architecture containing remarkable elements in terms of their quality and style sculpture and painting. The 10 female figures carved in high relief on the walls of the central chamber and the decoration of the lunette in its vault are the only examples of this type found so far in the Thracian lands. It is a remarkable reminder of the culture of the Getes, Thracian people who were in contact with the Hellenistic and Hyperborean worlds, according to ancient geographers.
Perperikon
Perperikon is the largest megalithic sanctuary in the Balkans. The archaeological complex of Perperikon contains a large megalithic-Thracian sanctuary, a sacred city and medieval fortress. The site of Perperikon is situated on a rocky peak around 420 m above sea level. According to archaeological evidence, human activity in the area dates back to 5000 B.C since this fertile sheltered place had attracted settlers in very ancient times. Today, dozens of sites clustered around the natural hub of Perperikon Sanctuary reveal layer upon layer of archaeological remains. Legend has it that in the remote past, the peak was called ‘the rock home of the Sun God.’ Ancient historians claim that “somewhere here, high in the mountains stood the shrine of the Thracian God Dionysus. In April of 334 BC, just before he invaded the Persian Empire, Alexander the Great visited the temple of Dionysus and the oracle prophesied that he would conquer the whole world. The Thracians looked upon the majestic massive rock as a sacred place at which they worshiped the sun. Orpheus, one of the best loved ancient heroes, was born in Thrace.
Thracian Sanctuary Tatul
One of the most majestic megalithic monuments found in the Bulgarian lands. The complex consists of two sarcophaguses, a rectangular bed for the main altar and a three-meter well. It dates back to the end of the 5th century BC. The rock pyramid and the tombs were built in the 13th – 11th centuries BC when the sanctuary reached its first zenith. Hundreds of religious artefacts were found here, including clay human idols and spindle elements, models of vessels, bronze items, figures of the God of the Sun. Numerous Roman ceramic artefacts from the 3rd century witness that during this period the Hellenistic temple was transformed into a fortified Roman villa that became the residence of a wealthy local aristocrat.