The Boyana Church
A medieval church located in Boyana District in Sofia. It has valuable paintings from 1259 with high artistic qualities and undeniable contribution to European culture. The founders Kaloyan, “cousin of the Tsar and grandson of the Serbian king Stefan" and his wife Desislava are depicted on the northern wall; and on the opposite wall is the royal couple – Constantine Tikh Asen and Irina, the granddaughter of Tsar Ivan Asen II and daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Theodore Laskarie. All the details in the clothing are painted, the faces have preserved their individual features and it is assumed that these are real portraits painted from life, and this was done in a time of the first portrait paintings. Many religious scenes feature the time and habits. The murals have not only artistic but also historical and documentary value.
Ivanovo Rock Churches
These are about 20 medieval churches, chapels and cells located in caves carved into sheer cliffs in the Valley of the Rusenski Lom River. They are located at 20 km south of Ruse, near the village of Ivanovo. The complex was inhabited during the 13th – 17th centuries by monks, many of whom were grammarians and writers. The chapel “Gospodev Dol” and the Buried Church date from the 13th century. Some medieval frescoes are preserved. There is a founder’s portrait in the Buried Church, probably of Tsar Ivan Asen II. It is supposed that the first wife of Ivan Alexander - Theodora, who took the monastic name Theofana, was depicted in the so-called Saborna Church. There is the founder’s portrait of Tsar Ivan Alexander in the main church of the monastery complex "St. Bogoroditsa", who is holding the model of the church in his hands.
The Каzanlashka Tomb
It is a Thracian beehive tomb from the late 4th and early 3rd century BC. It was discovered in a mound near the town of Kazanlak. It consists of an entrance foyer, a passageway (dromos), domed burial chamber (Tholos), built of brick and stone. It is famous for its frescoes - the best preserved in the country with the highest artistic value related to Thracian art. In the passageway, battle scenes are painted, and in the chamber, is the unique scene of the funeral feast and symbolic following of the deceased Thracian ruler to his grave, accompanied by three racing chariots.
Natural Pirin Park
Pirin Mountains are in the south-western Bulgaria, part of the Rila-Rhodope Massif, located between the valleys of the Struma and Mesta rivers. It is separated from Rila Mountain by Predela saddle and from Slavyanka Mountain by the saddle Parilska Sedlovina. Its area is 2585 km2, its average height is 1033 m. It is divided into North Pirin, which is the highest (p. Vihren - 2914 m), with alpine character and narrow sharpened ridge and steep slopes (there are two peaks here with height above 2900 m); Middle Pirin (between the saddles Todorova Polyana and Popski Preslop), which is smaller and lower (p. Oreluk - 2099 m); and South Pirin, which is the lowest (p. Sveshtnik - 1973 m).
Rila Monastery
This is the largest monastery complex in Bulgaria. It is located at 3 km to the east of the town of Rila in the mountain with the same name. It was founded in the 10th century by St. Ivan Rilski or his disciples. Soon after, the monastery became an object of pilgrimage and generous donations from the rulers. The country's turbulent history has left a mark even on the monastery. It was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt. The oldest preserved building is a stone tower, built in the 14th century by the feudal lord Hrelyo Dragovola. The other buildings are from the early 19th century. The residential wings with the cells surround a large courtyard in the middle of which, next to the medieval Hrelyova Tower, the main church St. Bogoroditsa is raising.
The harsh fortress appearance of outside monastery walls contrasts with the lively architecture of the church and the tracery open galleries (balconies) in front of the cells. There are over 400 cells in the four residential buildings, four chapels, guest rooms for pilgrims, monastery kitchens (cook-house) with original construction. According to the inscription on the facade, the main church was built in 1835 by Master Pavel Ivanovich. It is with a nave and two aisles, with three big domes along the longitudinal axis and two smaller domes on the side chapels. The variety of shapes and volumes is enriched by the extensive colour range of building materials and murals. Painters from Samokov and Bansko art schools participated in the painting of the church.
Only Zachary Zograf signed and dated his frescoes (1844). The central iconostasis, which separates the altar area, is impressive. The wood-carving, made by Atanas Teladur (1839), has high artistic qualities. The monastery was one of the most important cultural, educational and literary centres in Bulgarian history. It reached a big literary growth in the second half of the 15th century, when outstanding bibliophiles worked there. Today, the monastery stores valuable Bulgarian manuscripts - about 250 manuscripts of 11th – 19th centuries, 9000 incunabula, notated manuscripts, Renaissance graphic prints, etc. In 1961, the Rila Monastery was declared a national museum; since 1983 it has been included in the List of World Heritage of UNESCO.
The Sveshtarska Tomb
It is a Thracian Hellenistic tomb of the first half of the 3rd century BC. It is located in north-eastern Bulgaria, at 2.5 km south-west of the village of Sveshtari, at 42 km north-east of Razgrad. It was discovered in 1982 under the high mound – Ginina Mound. It consists of a passageway (dromos) and three vaulted rooms. The central chamber is most beautifully decorated with stone sculptures, reliefs and murals. There is an aedicule in the form of a temple façade with a painted horseman, who receives a golden crown from a Goddess (heroization, deification of the buried); the Goddess is followed by a religious procession. There are high relieves of 10 caryatids on the three walls.
The funeral ritual, construction, architecture and decoration testify that a Thracian ruler was buried in the tomb.
National Reserve Srebarna
It is a biospheric Reserve near the village of Srebarna, at 16 km west of Silistra. It covers the Srebarna Lake and the surrounding territories. Reed is the basic plant species there, as well as water lilies, marsh snowdrops, cattail, which can be found there, too. The bird community is rich with rare and valuable species of the national and global genetic heritage: waterfowl, pelicans, wild geese, ibis, spoonbills, herons, wild ducks, etc. Otters, muskrat, crayfish, common turtle, water rat also live there. There is a museum with the Reserve as well as an ecological station of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Srebarna is included in the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance and in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Madara Rider
The Madara Rider is the most remarkable monument in the National Historical and Archaeological Reserve of Madara. The unique rock relief carved in the cliffs is a model of medieval Bulgarian art, symbolising the power of the Bulgarian state of the khan period and is unique monument for Europe. There are carved inscriptions around the figure of the rider.
Nessebar
Located on a small peninsula in the Black Sea, Nessebar is one of the oldest cities in Europe. Founded 3000 years BC by the Thracians, considered the richest city of architectural monuments of medieval Bulgaria, with its 23 churches and monuments from the early Christian basilica to the domed Byzantine church - samples reflecting the architectural and artistic influence of Greek, Roman and Byzantine era, the city bears the romantic spirit of old Messemvria.
The Group of Bistritsa Grandmothers
The Bistritsa grandmothers are the most famous residents of the village of Bistritsa, known around the world for their singing of archaic folklore from the Shoppe region. Currently led by Dina Koleva, the women in the group are: Krema Gyoreva, Tsvetanka Tsenkova, Evdokia Batlachka, Gerginka Vayova, Sevda Gergova, Aneta Galeva, Nadehzda Pashaliyska and Galina Taneva. The group of the Bistritsa grandmothers was included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List.
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