UNESCO Heritige

NESSEBAR

The town of Nessebar has about 10,000 inhabitants and extends over a small peninsula. It lies 37km northeast of Bourgas. Its beach is considered to be one of the finest along the Black Sea coast due to a large sandy strip of land between the town and the village of Ravda, covered with clean golden sand. About the resort: The present-day town is the successor of a Thracian fishermen''s settlement named Menabryia (meaning literally ''the town of Mena''), the foundation of which dates back to the 2nd century BC. Later it remained the only Doric colony along the Black Sea coast, as the rest were typical Ionic settlements. The Greeks named it Messembria (which was later transformed into Nessabar by the Slavs), and it grew into a big and well-fortified town-state. The town benefited from natural protection from both the land and the sea. Remains suggest the existence of aqueducts, a sewerage system, fortified wails, an amphitheatre and numerous cult edifices (including an impressive temple of Apollo) at that time. The town became a popular commercial centre as a variety of goods from the Aegean and the Mediterranean regions were traded there and it also minted its own coins in the 5th century BC. Two centuries later, it founded its own colony called Navlohos near Obzor. The whole land between Nessebar and Obzor used to be a granary that supplied the two colonies with food as well as goods of exchange. In the 1st century BC the town surrendered to Marcus Lukulus'' legions and was subjected top Roman domination, during which the construction of a second colony of Messembria began and was finished. The second colony, built to the south of Nessebar, was named Anhialo (present-day Pomorie).

BOYANA CHURCH

The Boyana church is one of the few examples of medieval art in Bulgaria that have survived to date. What is more, the small church is one of 9 sites in Bulgaria, inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list for its cultural value.

The Boyana church lies in the suburbs of Sofia, in the ex-village and current quarter of the capital city, Boyana, and was originally built during the late 10th century-early 11th c. At that time, the church lay within a fortified settlement, the so-called Boyana Fortress (10-11th c.). Later on, the church was rebuilt and expanded twice – first in the middle of the 13th century and then - in the middle of the 19th century, though the output of the last stage did not carry any remarkable value.

Even if the church’s walls were first decorated in the 11th century, the Boyana Church is most famous for its masterly paintings of the 13th century, and particularly those painted in 1259. Among all paintings preserved to date, the greatest interest is attracted to the portraits of the church-donors – Sebastocrator Kaloyan and Sebastocratoress Desislava and those of the royal family of that time – Tsar Constantin Assen and his wife Irina. Their imposing figures are painted in full size, vested in rich ceremonial clothes adequate to their rank in the hierarchy of the then-feudal society. The portraits of the donors are particularly expressive and realistic, which has made many researchers label them as true masterpieces of the medieval period.

SREBARNA NATURE RESERVE

The Srebarna Nature Reserve is a freshwater lake adjacent to the Danube river and extending over 600 ha. It is situated 16km to the west of Silistra and is the breeding ground of almost 100 species of birds, many of which are rare or endangered. The reserve is one of the stops on the international bird migration route, Via Pontica, which explains the large bird population there. The total number of bird species, including those that migrate or take shelter every winter, comes up to 221. Among the most interesting bird species are the Dalmatian pelican, which has its only colony in Bulgaria in Srebarna, the great egret, night heron, purple heron, glossy ibis and white spoonbill. In additional to rare birds, the reserve is populated by 44 mammal, 23 fish, 10 amphibian and 11 reptile species. In turn, its flora is represented by about 300 different types of plants.

The first step for protecting the lake’s flora and fauna was made as early as 1942 when the lake was declared a protected area for its being an important nesting place of waterfowl. In 1948 it was pronounced as a reserve, while cutting of reed was banned. In 1977 Srebarna was included in the “Man and Biosphere” programme pf UNESCO and was declared a biosphere reserve, while in 1983 it entered UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The reserve keeps a museum of natural science and an ecological station of the Bulgarian Academy of Science and is open to visitors and birdwatchers.

IVANOVO ROCK MONASTERY The Ivanovo Rock Monastery is situated 21km south of the town of Rousse. In fact, the rock monastery is completely different from the other monastery complexes to be found in Bulgaria. In contrast to the traditional monastery complex which consists of 1-2 churches and a residential part, the Ivanovo cloister represents a network of small churches, chapels and cells hewn into the rocks, 32m above the waters of the picturesque canyon of the Roussenski Lom River. This cloister is the most famous one of the group of built-in-rock shrines around for its beautiful and well-preserved wall paintings. About the monastery: The caves were inhabited by monks from the 13th century to the 17th century (some of the most popular and preserved ones being the Gospodev Dol Chapel and the Buried-Under Church). As if striving to be closer to God, hermit monks started to settle here in the 13th century, digging cells, churches and chapels into the rocks. During the apogee of the religious complex, the rock churches are believed to have been about 40, while the cells of monks – about 300. Unfortunately, most of these are no longer preserved.

PIRIN NATIONAL PARK

The Pirin National Park occupies a large part of the beautiful Pirin mountain at an altitude of 1,008-2,914m. Century-old woods, giant peaks, dreadful abysses of circuses, emerald lakes, fragrant edelweiss fields, and clear rivers represent the natural habitat of wild goats, deer, bears, wild cats, wolves, and more.

Originally, the national park extended over a smaller area of 6,212 ha and was named Vihren after the highest peak in the mountain. The park was first declared as such in 1962 and encompassed the highest parts of the Demyanishki and Vihren ridges. In 1974, the national park was extended to cover most of the mountain and was renamed into Pirin. The present-day area of the park, which includes two natural reserves, is 40,332.4 ha. One of the reserves, Bayuvi Dupki-Dzhindzhiritsa, ranks among the oldest in Bulgaria. It was given the statute of a national reserve back in 1934 in order to ensure the protection of woods of white and black fir and the big variety of flora and fauna there. This reserve was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1977. The other natural reserve in the Pirin National Park, Yulen, was declared as such in 1994. It hides an exceptional diversity of subalpine and alpine ecosystems and the beauty of all forms of the alpine relief.

Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak

The Thracian tomb of Kazanlak was discovered by accident in 1944 beneath a huge mound. It is located near remains of the historical city of Seutopolis, the capital of the Thracian king Seutes III, and is part of a large Thracian necropolis. The tomb is made of bricks, while the entire building is covered with stone pieces from the outside. It has a narrow corridor and a round burial chamber. What makes it a part of the world’s cultural heritage are its murals representing Thracian burial rituals and culture. These paintings, covering 40 square meters, are Bulgaria''s best-preserved artistic masterpieces from the Hellenistic period.

Within the burial chamber, a central place is taken by the painting of a burial feast. One can distinguish a renowned Thracian king and his wife in the middle of the composition, surrounded by slaves, maids and musicians. Another wall-painting of a smaller size that depicts a dynamic cart race occupies the upper part of the dome. Both frescoes are extremely realistic and of high artistic value.

After its discovery, the tomb was covered by a special protective construction, equipped with an air conditioning system aimed to preserve the valuable paintings. Nearby the tomb, tourists can visit its precise copy that is open to visitors during the day all around the year.

MADARA RIDER

The Madara Rider represents a sculpture of a horse-rider triumphing over a lion with its spear. What makes it unique is the fact that the sculpture is carved into a 100m-high cliff. The name of the sculpture comes from the nearby village of Madara, situated about 15km to the east of Shumen. According to historical documents, Madara was the main sacred place of pagan worship during the First Bulgarian State. The inscriptions beside the sculpture, discovered many years after the original finding of the sculpture, tell of events that happened during the period of 705-801 AC.

RILA MONASTERY

The Rila monastery lies in the very Rila mountain, at 1,147 meters above sea level. It is situated 117km away from Sofia to the south, and is no doubt the most popular tourist site among all monasteries in Bulgaria equally for its size, natural surroundings, architecture, wall paintings and ancient history. The monastery is flanked by the small mountain rivers of Rilska and Drushlyavitsa and is only 4 hours walking distance from the Malyovitsa peak, rising at 2,729 meters above sea level. The highest peak of the Rila mountain, Mousala (2925 meters), which is also the Balkan peninsula’s highest point, is further away at about 8 hours’ walk. The monastery offers a great view to the surrounding peaks of the mountain and represents a developed tourist sight with all the accompanying facilities such as souvenir shops, restaurants and inns. About the monastery: The monastery is believed to have been founded by a hermit, John of Rila, in the 10th century, during the reign of the Bulgarian Tzar Peter (927-968). St John of Rila, whose mummified relics are exhibited for pilgrims in the main church, in fact lived in a cave about half-an-hour walk away from the present-day monastery complex. The monastery itself is considered to have been built by his scholars, who came to the place to be taught by him.

THRACIAN TOMB OF SVESHTARI

The Thracian tomb of Sveshtari was discovered in 1982 near a village of the same name, situated in northeastern Bulgaria, 7km away from the town of Isperih. This tomb, built in the first half of the 3rd century B.C. has a unique architectural design, colorful half-human, half-plant caryatids and impressive wall paintings. The 10 female figures carved in the walls of the central chamber and the decoration of the lunette in its vault are the only ones of their kind found in the former Thracian lands.

According to a hypothesis put forward by the leader of the archeological team that discovered the tomb, Maria Chichikova, the tomb of Sveshtari hosts the body of King Drumihed, leader of the Thracian tribe of Getes. The people of the Getes are believed to have been in contact with the Hellenistic and Hyperborean worlds. Moreover, Ms Chichikova suggests that the tomb was erected near the former capital of the Getes, Hellis, which together with Sveshtari lies in the historical and cultural reserve of Sboryanovo. The tomb was included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1985.

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