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Day 1 - Early morning departure to Kazanluk. Arrival. Visit one of the most famous monuments of the Thracian Culture – The Thracian Tomb in Kazanluk!
One of the most famous monuments of Thracian culture, included in the World Register of Historical Sites, in 1979, was discovered in 1944. A corridor, 1. 95 m in length, 1. 12 m in width and 2. 24 m in height leads to a domed tomb, 3. 25 m in height and 2. 65 m in diameter at the base. The building material is brick, used two centuries later by the Romans. The frame is of blocks of stone and clay is used as bonding material. It is situated in the southern part of a mound, at ground level. The entrance is from the south side. The tomb became world famous with its unique mural, done in wet fresco and tempera. The artistic decoration covers an area of 40m2.It is an extraordinary art gallery, taking the visitor a long way back in time. The pictures show battles and scenes from daily life, realistically displayed, with great dynamism and details in the clothing and armour. The scenes of funeral procession , the musicians, the Thracian ruler and his wife, the chariots, the horses and other depictions are all very interesting. The tomb dates from the late IV c. - early III c. BC
Departure to the Thracian cult complex by the village of Starosel. It is assumed that it is most probably the tomb of King Sitalkes (431-424 BC). In addition to the burial, this sanctuary was also location of common rituals related to the Thracian cult and beliefs. The tomb/temple consists of two chambers – the first is square and the one after it is round. An impressive rock stairway leads to them. Outside the sanctuary is surrounded by a supporting wall. The sanctuary itself is built on a natural mound and at this point constitutes the largest preserved Thracian royal complex with a temple/mausoleum in South Eastern Europe.
Departure to Plovdiv.
Overnight.
| Day 2 - Departure to Perperikon – “The sacred city”! Located in the Eastern part of the Rhodopi mountain range. Consist of a palace, a fortress and an ancient Thracian sanctuary related to the cult towards the Thracian equivalence of the Greek god of wine and feasts Dionysius (known as Zagrey among the Thracians). According to some of the explorers of the site, this impressive religious centre was built some 3,500 years ago and was used for ritual sacrifices of animals and people, as well as for religious orgies of young men and women idolizing Zagrey. The centre was of a great religious importance not only for the Thracians, but for the whole ancient world - Greeks, Persians, Macedonians ... According to the ancient legends, that was the place where Alexander the Great and Augustus learned their fate - 'The prophets sat in a roofless oval chamber and said to Octavian, father of Augustus that his son was to rule the world, for as the wine was split onto the altar, the smoke rose up above the top of the shrine and even into the heavens, as had happened when Alexander the Great himself had sacrificed upon that same altar.'
The remains of the later medieval Perperikon reveal the foundations of fortress walls and parts of an octagonal tower, built of big rectangular stones. Noteworthy, the complex also preserves the remains of a water reservoir, carved in a monolithic rock. This is 6m deep and of total area of 60m, representing one of the biggest artificial water reservoirs in the Rhodopi region. The stones of Perperikon also uncover graffiti paintings of human bodies and various geometrical figures, which are connected with the religious beliefs of another ancient tribe, the Protobulgarians.
Departure to Kurdjali.
Overnight. | Day 3 - Next in the program is Tatul - just outside the village of Tatul, you can find the ruins of a Thracian sanctuary dedicated to the legendary Thracian singer Orpheus and possibly the place where he was buried. The sanctuary (12th century BC) consists of two rock vaults carved in a large rock with a pyramid shape, eight steps and a niche for laying a ritual plate.
Departure to Varna. |
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