Archaeologists Find Holy Well of Early Christian Monastery on Top of 2,500-Year-Old Apollo Temple on Bulgaria’s St. Ivan Island
Archaeologists have discovered the 1,500-year-old holy well, or ayazmo, of the Early Christian monastery on the St. Ivan Island off the coast of Bulgaria’s Black Sea town of Sozopol, which was built on top of an Ancient Greek temple of…
‘Pillow’ Brick with Gospel of John Inscription in 13th Century Clergyman Grave, Byzantine Gold Threads Found in Medieval Bulgarian Capital Tarnovgrad
A senior medieval clergyman’s grave from the time of the Second Bulgarian Empire, possibly even one of the patriarchs of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, containing a brick with an inscription quoting the Gospel of John, has been discovered during the…
5th Century BC Ancient Greek Shrine Discovered in First Ever Excavations on Tiny St. Peter Island off Bulgaria’s Black Sea Coast near Sozopol
An Antiquity shrine from the 5th century BC, the time of the Ancient Greek colonization of Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, has been discovered during the first ever archaeological excavations on the tiny St. Petar / St. Peter Island off the…
Weird 15th Century Miners’ Burials, Venetian Theriac Cap Found in Bulgaria’s Kremikovtsi Monastery near Sofia
Dozens of weird Christian burials in which 15th and 16th century local miners were buried with bricks on their heads have been discovered in a late medieval necropolis at the Kremikovtsi Monastery right outside of Bulgaria’s capital Sofia.
Archaeologists Find Thracian, Byzantine Settlements, Medieval Monastery on Bulgaria’s St. Thomas Island in Black Sea
An Ancient Thracian settlement, an Early Byzantine settlement, and a small monastery from the Late Middle Ages have been discovered by archaeologists on Bulgaria’s tiny St. Thomas Island (Snake Island) in the Black Sea.
Bulgaria’s Belovo Seeks to Promote Impressive Early Christian Basilica as Archaeology, Cultural Tourism Site
Promotion of the rather well preserved but unknown ruins of an impressive Early Christian basilica (the Belovo Basilica) from the long defunct Late Antiquity and medieval city of Leuka (Leuke) is a main objective of the authorities in Belovo Municipality,…
New Exhibition Showcases Bulgaria’s 15th-19th Century Religious Culture and Folklore Art at National Museum of History in Sofia
Bulgaria’s National Museum of History in Sofia is opening a new exhibition which is to showcase “The Sacred Space of Religious Culture and Folklore Art in the Bulgarian Lands, 15th-19th century.”
Antiquity, Medieval Artifacts Exposed by Landslide Show Bulgaria’s Troyan Monastery May Be Much Older than Known
Archaeological artifacts from the Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages have been exposed by a landslide near the Troyan Monastery meaning that Bulgaria’s third largest monastery might have been founded long before 1600, as presently thought.
Newly Found 13th Century Ivory Cross Reveals Name of Senior Cleric from Second Bulgarian Empire
A 13th century bone cross with intricate engravings has been discovered in the city of Veliko Tarnovo in Central North Bulgaria, the modern-day successor of the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185-1396/1422) Tarnovgrad, revealing the name of the senior…
Archaeologists Find Grave of One of Last Senior Clergymen of Medieval Bulgarian Capital Tarnovgrad in Veliko Tarnovo
The grave of a person who seems to have been one of the last senior clergymen of Tarnovgrad, the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185-1396/1422), before its capture by the invading Ottoman Turks has been discovered by archaeologists excavating…
Bulgaria’s Cabinet Poised to Grant Black Sea Town Sozopol Ownership over St. Ivan Island Famous for St. John the Baptist’s Relics
Bulgaria’s Cabinet is prepared to transfer ownership of the Black Sea island “St. Ivan (St. John)”, known for its Early Christian and Early Byzantine monastery where relics of St. John the Baptist were discovered back in 2010, to the local…
Bulgaria’s Sozopol Granted Access to Ecumenical Patriarchate’s Archives over St. Ivan Island in Black Sea
Bulgaria’s Black Sea resort of Sozopol has been granted access to the archives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in Istanbul, Turkey, in order to research the history of the St. Ivan (St. John) Island known for its Early Christian…
Early Christian Belovo Basilica to Be Featured in Photo Exhibit on ‘Christianity in Bulgaria’ in Moscow
The ruins of the Late Antiquity Belovo Basilica located near the town of Golyamo Belovo, Belovo Municipality, in Southwest Bulgaria, which is known as one of the best preserved Early Christian monuments in the country, will be featured in a…
Bulgaria’s Black Sea Resort Sozopol Claims St. Ivan Island Known for Discovery of St. John the Baptist Relics
The town of Sozopol on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, the modern-day successor of ancient Apollonia Pontica (Sozopolis), has claimed the ownership of the St. Ivan (St. John) Island known for its Early Christian and Early Byzantine monastery where relics of…
Mural Portrairs of Tsars from Second Bulgarian Empire Identified in Largest Study of Frescoes from Medieval Capital Tarnovgrad (Veliko Tarnovo)
Previously unkown mural portraits of Tsar Ivan Asen II (r 1218-1241), one of his wifes, and three other medieval Bulgarian rulers from the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185-1396) have been identified in the most comprehensive study to date of the frescoes…
Archaeology Museum in Bulgaria’s Varna Calls for Volunteers for 2016 Summer Excavations of 4 Major Archaeological Sites
The Museum of Archaeology in Bulgaria’s Black Sea city of Varna has issued a call for volunteers for the 2016 summer archaeological excavations of a total of four major sites which will be explored by its archaeologists.
Unknown Self-Portrait of Most Famous Bulgarian Icon, Mural Painter Discovered on Hidden Church Fresco in Bulgaria’s Ledenik
A previously unknown self-portrait of Zahari (Zahariy) Zograf (1810-1853), the most famous icon painter from Bulgaria’s National Revival Period (18th-19th century) has been found on a fresco in a church in the town of Ledenik, Veliko Tarnovo District.
Medieval Reliquary Discovered at Christian Monastery Looted by Treasure Hunters ahead of Archaeological Excavations
A medieval reliquary and a piece of a bronze cross have been found at the ruins of a monastery from the 11th-12th century located near the town of Dobromirtsi in Bulgaria’s southernmost municipality Kirkovo.
Bulgaria’s Kirkovo to Excavate Medieval Christian Monastery in Search of Grave of Last Patriarch of Second Bulgarian Empire
Kirkovo, Bulgaria’s southernmost municipality bordering Greece, and located some 20 km north of the Aegean coast, is going to restart the archaeological excavations of a medieval Christian monastery in search of the grave of St. Patriarch Evtimiy (Euthymius) of Tarnovo…
St. John the Baptist Relics Ended Up in Bulgaria’s Sozopol to Counterbalance Huge Ancient Apollo Statue and Temple, Archaeologist Hypothesizes
The establishment of an Early Christian monastery dedicated to St. John the Baptist with the saint’s relics in Bulgaria’s Black Sea resort town of Sozopol (known as Apollonia Pontica in ancient times) may have been motivated by the existence of…
Medieval Asen’s Fortress in Bulgaria’s Asenovgrad Saw Fewer Tourists in 2015 Because of Collapsed Mountain Road
One of Bulgaria’s famous medieval landmarks, Asen’s Fortress (Asenova Krepost) in the southern town of Asenovgrad, saw a decline in the number of visitors it had in 2015, apparently because it has become less accessible after the road leading up…
Bulgaria’s Varna to Turn Major 9th Century Monastery with Scriptorium from First Bulgarian Empire into Cultural Tourism Site
Bulgaria’s Black Sea city of Varna has taken the first step to restore and promote as a cultural tourism site what apparently was one of the largest monasteries in the First Bulgarian Empire (632/680-1018 AD) known as the Knyazheski (Royal)…
Newly Found Basilica Sheds Light on Unknown Byzantine City, Reason Why Veliko Tarnovo Was Made Capital of Second Bulgarian Empire
The Early Byzantine basilica which was discovered recently in the city of Veliko Tarnovo in Northern Bulgaria may prove the key to the exploration of what was an unknown but major Byzantine city, and to answering the question why Veliko…
Skeletons Found in Early Christian Tomb on St. Ivan Island off Bulgaria’s Sozopol Belonged to Syrian Monks Who Brought St. John the Baptist’s Relics
The two human skeletons discovered recently in an Early Christian tomb on the St. Ivan (St. John) Island in the Black Sea off the coast of Bulgarian resort Sozopol most probably belonged to Syrian monks who brought with them the…
Archaeologist Discovers Early Byzantine Basilica in ‘Frankish Quarter’ of Medieval Bulgarian Capital Tarnovgrad (Veliko Tarnovo)
An Early Byzantine Christian basilica has been discovered during archaeological excavations the city of Veliko Tarnovo in Northern Bulgaria, southeast of the fortress wall of the Tsarevets Hill Fortress, in the so called Frenkhisar, or the “Frankish Quarter”, of Tarnovgrad,…
Archaeologists Unearth Large Early Christian Basilica with Roman Grave Right Outside of Bulgaria’s Capital Sofia
One of the largest Early Christian basilicas in Bulgaria, which is located in the Buhovo Monastery “St. Mary Magdalene” near the town of Buhovo in Sofia Municipality, to the northeast of Sofia’s main urban area, has been completely unearthed, with…
Archaeologist Uncovers 13th Century Monastery Dining Room in Bulgaria’s Veliko Tarnovo
New archaeological structures – including what is believed to have been a monastery dining room – have been unearthed in the renewed excavations of a 13th century monastery in Tarnovgrad, the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire (1185-1396 AD), in…
Archaeologist Finds Two Human Skeletons, One Ram Skeleton in Early Christian Tomb on St. Ivan Island in Black Sea Off Bulgaria’s Sozopol
Two human skeletons and a ram skeleton have been discovered by Bulgarian archaeologist Prof. Kazimir Popkonstantinov inside the Early Christian tomb on the St. Ivan Island off the coast of the town of Sozopol (the same island where relics of…
Bulgarian Archaeologist Discovers Early Christian Tomb of Senior Clergyman on Sozopol’s St. John Island in Black Sea
An Early Christian tomb of a senior clergyman, possibly the Father Superior of the monastery, has been discovered by Bulgarian archaeologist Prof. Kazimir Popkonstantinov on the St. Ivan (St. John) Island off the Black Sea coast near the town of…
Archaeologists from Varna Museum of Archaeology to Excavate Further Kastritsi Fortress, Medieval Bulgarian Monastery
The archaeologists from the Varna Museum of Archaeology are about to start their annual summer excavations of the Late Antiquity Byzantine and medieval Bulgarian fortress of Kastritsi located on the Black Sea coast in the Bay of Varna.
Archaeologists to Resume Excavations of Medieval Bulgarian Fortress Urvich, St. Iliya Monastery near Sofia
A team led by Bulgarian archaeologist Prof. Nikolay Ovcharov is starting on June 2, 2015, its scheduled excavations of the Urvich Fortress, which dates back to the medieval Bulgarian Empire, and its monastery named after St. Iliya (St. Elijah).
Bulgaria’s Govt Allocates Major Funding for Restoration of Early Christian Monastery ‘St. John the Forerunner’
Bulgaria’s Cabinet has allocated BGN 800,000 (app. EUR 409,000) for completing the restoration of the Early Christian monastery “St. John the Forerunner” (The Forerunner is one of the nicknames of St. John the Baptist in Eastern Orthodox Christianity) located near…
Unique Early Christian Monastery in Bulgaria’s Varna Vandalized by Camping Parties, Archaeologist Alarms
The ruins of an absolutely unique Early Christian church and monastery from the 5th century AD located in an area known as Dzhanavara in Bulgaria’s Black Sea city of Varna have been vandalized by camping and drinking parties, which are…
Long Lost ‘Damaskin’ Manuscript from 1745 Discovered in Bulgaria’s Troyan Monastery
A valuable Bulgarian religious book, a manuscript known as a “damaskin”, written in 1745 has been found during a cleanup at the Troyan Monastery in Central North Bulgaria.
