The Madara Horseman is situated near the village of Madara - 14 km from the town of Shoumen
A relief portraying a life size horseman, followed by a dog is carved on a cliff, about 100 m high. The relief covers an area of 23 m2 . A dying lion is pictured at the feet of the horse. Greek inscriptions around the figure tell of Bulgarian rulers and important events. This is a rare monument, dating from the 8th to 9th century A.D. It is a unique symbol of young Bulgaria. The scene has been depicted realistically and without any unnecessary details. The work displays early Bulgarian medieval art. It was included in the World Register of Historical Sites in 1979.

The Unique Madara Horseman
An unusual place - a plateau rises in the middle of a plain which, when viewed from the west, resembles a petrified waterfall. The anonymous sculptor carved a relief of a majestic horseman 23 m above ground level in an almost vertical hundred-metre high cliff. The horseman is thrusting a spear into a lion lying at his horse’s feet, while holding a wine cup in the other hand. There is a god behind the rider and a dog runs after the mysterious horseman.

The Madara Horseman was carved at the very beginning of the 8th century, about three decades after the foundation of the Bulgarian State (681). The sculpture marks a triumph - the Byzantine Empire had recognised the new state. Furthermore, the Madara horseman marks a new epoch, the beginning of the new European world. Even today the horseman remains unique - nothing like it has ever been made. The inscriptions around the figures further clarify the profound historical meaning of the relief. The inscriptions, written in old Greek language and telling about some Bulgarian rulers, were made in three consecutive stages and are related to important events.

The oldest inscription mentions the name of the Bulgarian Khan Tervel, which dates the image relief to around the 8th century. They are the earliest proto-Bulgarian inscriptions, the earliest written data on Bulgarian history. The Madara Plateau is located in the Danube plain. It rises gradually up to its highest point and then suddenly drops like a stone waterfall to fertile fields. The rock cliff is one hundred metres high. Low down, in the crevices and small caves, man lived in prehistoric times. In antiquity the Thracian tribes inhabited the plain. There was an ancient Thracian sanctuary in the large open cave under the rocks, which is known today as the Nymphs’ Cave. Succulent plants and trickles of water fill this place with the natural juices of life respected by the Thracians and inhabited by their gods. Monumental in design and execution, this symbol of Bulgarian statesmanship is the only one of its kind in the whole of Europe.

The Boyana Church is one of the most important and valuable antiquities of exceptional historical and artistic significance. It is situated at the foot of the mountain of Vitosha. The oldest part of the church dates back to the early 11th century. According to an original manuscript, in 1295 the two - store part of the church was built and the rest was added in the middle of the 19th century.

The most interesting part of the monument are the murals done in 1259. The frescoes are rich in tone. The artist skilfully combines the requirements of iconographical canons with real life. 89 scenes are depicted, containing 240 human images - a real art gallery of the 13th century. The portraits of the founder of the church - patron Kaloian and his wife Desislava and of prince Konstantin and his wife Irina are the supreme peak of the skill of the artist. The monument was included in the World Register of Historical and Natural Sites in 1979.

The Ivanovo Rock Monasteries are situated 20 km from the town of Rousse.

Ivanovo Rock Monasteries - The chambers
This is an area where a number of medieval churches, monastic cells and chapels were carved on both sides of the river Lom. A colony of hermits lived here from the 3rd century to the 17th century. The natural vesicles in the Karst rocks were widened and moulded to meet the needs of the colony. The chambers are at a height of 6-10m. and are connected by series of stairs, passages and galleries.

Ivanovo Rock Monasteries - The frescoes
The walls are covered with pictures of biblical themes and compositions with many figures. Great artistic value, a refined colour scheme and admirable skill is displayed. The partly conserved frescoes are evidence of the notable achievements of the Bulgarian medieval art school. The remaining scriptures emphasise the significance of the literary school which developed in this area. The monasteries were included in the World Register of Historical Sites in 1979.

The Rila Monastery is a holy place for all Bulgarians, for it preserved their pride, national identity, faith and hope through the centuries. It was founded in the 10th century by followers of the Bulgarian hermit saint Ivan Rilski. The monastery is one of the most significant cultural centres in Bulgaria, where through the centuries intensive spiritual, educational and creative activities flourished. It was in close contact with spiritual centres abroad. After a devastating fire, the monastery was completely rebuilt in the 19th century. It is the biggest renaissance monument in Bulgaria.

It is an architectural - artistic composition of enormous dimensions, an apogee of the work of the renaissance craftsmen, icon-painters, wood-carvers, artisans in the artistic area where architecture and the decorative and monumental painting of stone, wood and metal are combined. The defensive tower of Khrelio, built in the 14th century, can be found in the yard.

The Monastery is still in use. There is a sumptuous library, a historical museum and a museum exhibition with a few subjects. The church was painted by the most famous representatives of the Bulgarian renaissance artistic school. The Rila monastery was included in the UNESCO World Register of Historical Sites in 1983.

The Old Nessebar is situated 30 km from the town of Bourgas
Situated on a peninsula in the Black Sea, connected with the mainland by a narrow isthmus, this is a town with a history going back millennia. Each era has left its permanent marks and today the town is unique. A huge museum displays the way of life of the different people that have inhabited it. On this tiny island castle walls from Thracian times, defensive structures, private and public buildings from the Hellenistic period, medieval churches and renaissance buildings combine to form a unique atmosphere. Nearby is the famous sea resort of “Slunchev Briag”.

The churches were built during the early Byzantine period (5th and 6th centuries) and during the middle ages (10th to 14th centuries). The oldest of them are the basilicas, cruciform, with a single nave. The murals from the 14th to the 18th centuries have an exceptional historic and artistic value, displaying the traditions and craftsmanship of the artisans and icon-painters of that time. Old Nessebar was included in the World Register of Historical Sites in 1983.

The Sreburna Nature Reserve is situated 15 km from the town of Silistra.
“Sreburna” was included in the list of the biosphere nature reserves under the aegis of UNESCO in 1977 and in 1983 it was included in the World Register of Natural Heritage. It is situated in Northern Bulgaria, at the delta of the river Danube. It is a lake, 1.5 m deep, fed by water from the river and Karst water. The temperature of the water during winter is 0°C, and in the summer up to 28°C. The natural habitat favours the growth of a wide variety of animal and plant species. Of great interest are the 160 species of birds, 90 of which nest and breed here. “Sreburna” is a stopping place for many migratory birds. It possesses one of the 4 known colonies of the curly-headed pelican in Europe. There is also a considerable colony of herons and other rare water birds. There are many species of mammals, river animals, different plants. The reserve covers an area of 800 hectares. In the vicinity there is a Nature museum and an Ecological research station.

The main ridge covers an area of 2585 km2 of exceptional natural beauty - high peaks, many glacial massifs, 176 lakes. About 90% of these lakes are more than 2,100m above sea level. 119 of them were created by glaciers. The most famous of these are: “Popovo” lake, the “Kremenskite” lakes, the “Valiavihkite” lakes, the “Vlahinskite” lakes, the “Bunderishkite” lakes and the “Vasilashkite” lakes. The sharply contoured landscape and the blend of Central European and Mediterranean climates ensure a wide variety of flora and fauna. In 1962 part of the mountain range was proclaimed as a national park, initially named “Vihren” and later on renamed “Pirin”. Noting the uniqueness of the park and its global significance, UNESCO included it in the World Register of Natural Heritage.

The park covers an area of 26,479.8 hectares. It includes parts of the mountain range which are above 1000m above sea level with unique ecosystems, areas with specific geomorphology, a large number of Bulgarian and Balkan endemites and relicts. There are a few trees declared to be a natural heritage, including the “Baikusheva” white fir, more than 1200 years old, 16m high and with a circumference of 5.70m.

The park also contains 70 glacial lakes, many caves, waterfalls, majestic abysses and cliffs. The areas of natural beauty include the Bunderishki caves, Kasana, Kioshkata, the rock formation Pirostiata, the Demianishki Skok and Iulenski Skok waterfalls, the natural reserve “Baiuvi dupki - Jinjiritsa” etc. The mountains are almost impassable. Roads have been made from Bansko, Sandanski, Gotze Delchev etc.

The main ridge of the mountain is aligned from Northwest to South-Southeast. It is about 80 km long and 40 km wide.

The Valley of roses

The Valley of Roses is one of the biggest producers of rose oil in the world. The soil and the climate in this region are quite suitable for the roses. The conditions in Kazanlak proved to be more favourable for the cultivation of the rose than those in its own country of origin - Tunisia. This is specifically valid for the rainfalls. The air humidity, cloudiness and precipitation in May and June contributed to obtain roses yielding high percentage of oil.

The Rose Valley is not a geographical name – it is just a notion, associated with the location where the Bulgarian oil-bearing rose grows. The valley altitude is 710m at his highest point Klisoura. The climate in the Rose Valley is transitional between moderately continental and transitional continental. The rose plants usually start coming into leaf around March 10, when the air temperature settles at over 5º C.

The rainfalls in the Rose Valley are heaviest in the spring, with a peak in June. Daily rainfalls are not abundant, yet the rainy days are many. This kind of weather prolongs the flowering period, suppresses oil evaporation, at the same time increasing the yield of oil and its quality. The mean monthly precipitation in May and June is usually between 80 and 100 litres per square meter.
The absence of intensive sunshine prevents undesired liberation of the volatile aromatic ingredients from the flowers. Every five to seven years there occurs a sudden warming during the harvesting time, which hampers gathering, storing and distillation. To avoid the adverse effect of the winds on the rose bushes, they were always planted in hedge-rows.

The Trip of the rose

According to a legend, returning soldiers of Alexander Macedon’s garrisons brought the first roses to Thrace from the region of the town Kashan in Persia through Syria and Damascus. Bulgarian scientists presume that the cultivation of the roses was introduced to the region round Kazanlak, a town founded by the Turks in 1420. The roses were reportedly brought from Tunisia by a Turkish judge, who had beautiful vast gardens planted with fragrant roses. This is the trip of the rose.

After the developing of this industry in the Middle Ages and inventing the double and multiple distillation, the Bulgarian rose oil soon made a name for its superior quality. The demand for this oil of unsurpassed quality has not faded until today. The Bulgarian producers of the time became aware of the fact that they were manufacturing a new and precious product.

Distillation of rose flowers for liberating oil, a technology unknown anywhere in the world so far was welcomed by the new industries of perfumery and cosmetics that were flourishing in Western and Central Europe at that time. The Bulgarian rose oil was recognized in the world market for its superior quality and the cultivation and processing of roses developed as the first Bulgarian industry.

Bulgarian rose oil

An original Bulgarian technology for rose planting was gradually developed and adopted as a general practice in the past. It was called kesme. No other cultivation method has been able to preserve the character of the rose almost unchanged for over three centuries. This fact explains why there were no attempts at cultivating other rose varieties in the Rose Valley. The technology proved to be so good that rose bushes were even

exported to the Russian and the Turkish empires of the time. Distilling equipments for rose oil were imported from Persia and Tunisia. Striving to obtain rose water of better quality and of higher alcohol content, in the course of the time people came to employ double and then multiple distillation. This was a unique Bulgarian innovation in the technology of rose oil which made it essentially different from the original one.

The multiple distillation technology was tested and adopted on the analogy of method of stilling rakia (a kind of Bulgarian brandy). Rose water of higher alcohol content was obtained and, what is more important, the rose oil was produced. The major types of oil-bearing roses used to be cultivated for the purposes of attar extraction: the pink and the white rose. Until 1970, the pink rose plantations
brought almost 90 per cent of the total output. White roses were preferred for planting in higher altitudes. It is generally accepted that there are more than 5000 varieties of roses, yet only a few of them exhibit that market fragrance which is sought by perfumers. The Bulgarian oil-bearing rose has been cultivated in the Rose Valley for more than 300 years now.

Lactobacillus Bulgaricus, the bacterium that is responsible for giving Bulgarian yoghourt its unique flavour and consistency, can only be found in Bulgarian air.

Yoghourt - An original national product

The Bulgarian sour milk (kiselo mliako) is an original national product. Outside Bulgaria it is known by the name of “yoghourt”. It is supposed that the Bulgarian sour milk was connected with sheep-breeding, which can be traced back to Thracian times. Shepherds made a great variety of products using the large output of milk. It is believed that the best masters of yoghourt came from the Razgrad district. Yoghourt is obtained from full-cream milk after lacto-acidic fermentation at a temperature of 40-45 degrees C. Depending on the type of milk used, the sour milk may be sheep, cow, buffalo, or mixed yoghourt. The greatest amount of fats is found in buffalo yoghourt - 7.5 per cent, followed by sheep yoghourt - 6.5 per cent and cow yoghourt - 3.6 per cent.

Recipes
Here follows a description of how you yourself can produce Bulgarian sour milk, fulfilling the recipe of the Razgrad masters:
Ingredients: 1 liter of fresh milk; 1 spoonful of sour milk to start fermentation.

Directions: Boil the milk and let it cool to 38-40 degrees C (it should be a little warmer than your hand). Pour 1/4 teacupful of it on the portion of sour milk required to start fermentation and mix well. Then add this mixture to the fresh milk. Stir well, cover the pot with a lid, wrap it with a woollen blanket and leave it in a warm place. The temperature of 38-40 degrees C should be maintained for three hours, while the sour milk fermentation develops. The yoghourt thus obtained is kept in the refrigerator. Here is a recipe for COLD YOGHOURT SOUP (TARRATOR) - perfect for hot suumer days: 1 lb. plain yoghourt; 1 1/2 cups cold water; 1 peeled and finely chopped cucumber; 2 cloves garlic (crushed); 4 tbsp vegetable or olive oil; 1 tsp salt; 2 tbsp fresh dill; 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional) In a large bowl mix yoghourt and water until smooth. Add all other ingredients, stir well. Serve. Makes 6-8 servings. In hot summer days you can add 1 of cube ice in each serving bowl.

The ‘Voyager‘ spacecraft launched in the 1970s on a voyage to meet and communicate with other planets, carried a laser disc of ten songs believed to be representative of ‘Earth’. One of these songs was the Bulgarian tune “Izlel e Deliu Haidutin” from the Rhodope region, performed by Valia Balkanska.