Alexandrovo Tomb

1 / 9

The roundabouts and the present urban area of Haskovo have preserved many traces of prehistoric, Thracian, Thracian-Roman, Byzantine and medieval villages. In December 2000, a team of archaeologists under the guidance of Dr. Georgi Kitov (1943-2008), made one of the most significant discoveries in Bulgarian archaeology at the mound "Roshavata Chuka" near the village of Aleksandrovo.

Penetrating deep through a hole earlier made by treasure hunters, archaeologists came across a Thracian tomb dated the IV century B.C. with frescoes incredibly well-preserved. The very first view revealed unique artistic decoration, unparalleled to other facilities of the kind. The architecture of the tomb is also impressive, rivalling in size the best examples of historic monuments across our land. The mound is located near the village and stands out against the background of the area as a beautiful hill. The height of the mound is about 15 meters and its diameter exceeds 70 meters. A 14-meter corridor has its beginning on its eastern periphery, passing alternately through a rectangular and a circular room.

The edifice was used as a heroon (temple-mausoleum). The small height of the corridor and the two entrances make visitors bow to be able to pass underneath, entering a world of rich colours and patterns, floral and geometrical motifs, images of footmen and horsemen, domestic and wild animals. The frescoes are made in an unexpectedly realistic way, standing out with exclusive scientific, artistic and original value and leaving an unmatchable impact.

The tomb was designed to give refuge to an unknown Thracian ruler, whose name remains a mystery to us. With its frescoes and architecture, this tomb is one of the masterpieces of Thracian cultural heritage in Bulgaria and ranks as one of the largest facilities of its kind found in the Bulgarian to date. The tomb’s unique murals are unparalleled and have great artistic value. Painting is an invaluable source of information about the Thracian reality and everyday life.

In May 2009, the Museum Center "Thracian Art in the Eastern Rhodopes" opened doors and it displays an exact replica of the Tomb of Alexandrovo located not far away (usually visitors are not allowed in the original site). The Thracian cultural heritage at a regional level is represented by movable monuments of culture from the Late Iron Age (VI-I centuries B.C.). Visitors can see the most remarkable archaeological sites in the Eastern Rhodopes, Sakar Mountain and along the valley of the Maritsa River. The Museum Center exhibits a gold treasure, dated around IV century B.C. Jewelry and ornaments similar to the pieces found in the Varna necropolis are the oldest processed gold in the world.

Since 2011 Alexandrovo Tomb is a part of The hundred tourist sites in Bulgaria.
 
A procedure of including Alexandrovo Tomb in the list of world cultural heritage by UNESCO is been going on.

 

Sources and pictures: www.alexandrovo.com; bg.wikipedia.org; www.haskovo.com

25.09.2012, Bulgarian sights