Christian Reliquary Cross Found in 11th Century Byzantine Fortress in Southeast Bulgaria Destroyed by Crusaders in Third Crusade
A bronze reliquary cross from the High Middle Ages of the engolpion type – i.e. a hollow cross used for keeping holy Christian relics – has been discovered by Bulgarian archaeologists during the excavations of the “Small Kale,” a fortress…
Headless Horse Skeleton Found in Likely First Known Cuman Settlement from Second Bulgarian Empire
A well-preserved headless animal skeleton, most likely of a horse, has been discovered by Bulgarian archaeologists excavating a settlement from the High Middle Ages at the foot of the Rahovets Fortress, which might prove to be the very first known…
Silver Coin of Co-Emperors of Second Bulgarian Empire Ivan Alexander, Mihail Asen Released by National Bank, Archaeology Museum in Replica Collection
A replica of a medieval silver coin minted by Tsar Ivan Alexander of the Second Bulgarian Empire (r. 1331 – 1371) together with his eldest son and Co-Emperor Mihail IV Asen has become the sixth coin to be released by…
Silver Coin of Tsar Ivan Alexander of Second Bulgarian Empire Released by National Bank, Archaeology Museum in Replica Collection
A replica of a silver coin minted by Tsar Ivan Alexander of the Second Bulgarian Empire (r. 1331 – 1371) has become the fifth coin to be released by the Mint of the Bulgarian National Bank and the National Institute…
Silver Coin of Tsar Mihail Shishman of Second Bulgarian Empire Released by National Bank, Archaeology Museum in Replica Collection
A replica of a silver coin minted by Tsar Mihail III Shishman Asen of the Second Bulgarian Empire (r. 1323 – 1330) has become the fourth coin to be released by the Mint of the Bulgarian National Bank and the…
4th Century Bishop’s Basilica with Marvelous Early Christian Bird Mosaics Opened for Visitors Bulgaria’s Plovdiv in Big Restoration Project with US Funding
The partly restored ruins of the 4th century Bishop’s Basilica, or Great Basilica, of the Ancient Thracian and Roman city of Philipopolis, with its almost fully restored fabulous Early Christian flood mosaics with birds and other motifs, has been opened…
19th Century Cathedral in Bulgaria’s Danube City of Vidin Gets Restoration Funding from Government
Bulgaria’s outgoing Cabinet has allocated nearly BGN 1 million (app. EUR 500,000) in funding for the conservation and restoration of the St. Great-Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki Cathedral in the Danube city of Vidin, one of the largest churches in the…
Ancient Bulgar Strap Decorations, Dugouts from Medieval Bulgarian Empire Found in Debnevo Fortress near Troyan
A wide range of archaeological structures and artifacts with a dating range from 5,000 BC until the 14th century AD – including Ancient Bulgar strap decorations and dugouts from the time of the medieval Bulgarian Empire – have been discovered…
Silver Coin of Tsar Todor Svetoslav of Second Bulgarian Empire Released by National Bank, Archaeology Museum in Replica Collection
A replica of a silver coin minted by Tsar Todor (Teodor) Svetoslav Terter of the Second Bulgarian Empire (r. 1301 – 1322) has become the third coin to be released by the Mint of the Bulgarian National Bank and the…
Wooden Coffin Burials, Glass Jewels Discovered in Vast Medieval Necropolis near Bulgaria’s Radnevo
A large number of glass jewels and remains of wooden coffins in some of the burials among dozens of newly excavated graves have been discovered by archaeologists in a large necropolis from the 12th century, the High Middle Ages, near…
Cup-Shaped Copper Coin of Tsar Ivan Asen II of Second Bulgarian Empire Released by National Bank, Archaeology Museum in Replica Collection
A replica of a copper scyphate, or a cup-shaped copper coin, minted by Tsar Ivan Asen II (r. 1218 – 1241) of the Second Bulgarian Empire is the second coin to be released by the Mint of the Bulgarian National…
Gold Coin of Tsar Ivan Asen II of Second Bulgarian Empire Released by Bulgarian National Bank, Archaeology Museum as Part of Replica Collection
A replica collection of coins minted by the Tsars of the Second Bulgarian Empire has been launched in a joint project by the Mint of the Bulgarian National Bank and the National Institute and Museum of Archaeology, with the first…
‘Incredible’ Early Byzantine Fortress with Stone Assembly Letter Clues Unearthed near Bulgaria’s Shirokovo
Archaeologists have excavated for the first time a 5th century AD fortress near Shirokovo in Northeast Bulgaria, which is the early period of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium) and is also likely to be the medieval Bulgarian city of Krastovets,…
3 Newly Found Gold Rings Reveal Antiquity, Middle Ages Life in Danube Region of Northeast Bulgaria
Archaeologists have discovered a total of three gold rings from the Antiquity, High Middle Ages, and Late Middle Ages in diverse archaeological sites in the Danube region of Ruse in today’s Northeast Bulgaria.
3 Gold Coins from Byzantine Empire after 1071 Battle of Manzikert Found in Bulgaria’s Lom in Almus, Lomgrad Ruins
Archaeologists have found a small hoard of gold coins from the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire) minted after the emblematic Battle of Manzikert in 1071 under Emperor Michael VII Ducas during excavations of the Ancient Roman and medieval Byzantine city…
Unknown Medieval Settlement from Second Bulgarian Empire, Bronze Age Settlement Discovered near Danube City Vidin
A previously unknown settlement from the Second Bulgarian Empire in the High Middle Ages and a layer from an Early Bronze Age settlement from the 3rd millennium BC have been discovered near the Danube city of Vidin in Northwest Bulgaria.
8,000-Year-Old Structures, Medieval Christian Necropolis, Ottoman Slaughter Fire Traces Found in Bulgaria’s Stara Zagora
A wide range of archaeological structures and artifacts “slicing through history” have been discovered during rescue excavations on a construction plot within the Augusta Traiana – Vereia Archaeological Preserve in the Southern Bulgarian city of Stara Zagora – including 8,000-year-old…
Horse Shoulder Blade with Mysterious ‘Magic’ Ritual Marks from ca. 1300 AD Discovered in Rusocastro Fortress in Southeast Bulgaria
A horse scapula, i.e. a shoulder blade bone, with traces from eating and bizarre traces of burning from ca. 1300 AD, meaning it might have been used in some kind of mysterious and thus far unknown “magic” ritual, has been…
‘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…
Crusaders from Third Crusade Destroyed 11th-Century Byzantine Empire’s Fortress in Southeast Bulgaria, Archaeologists Find
A small but remarkable Byzantine fortress, which existed in the 11th – 12th century in today’s Southeast Bulgaria, was seemingly destroyed by the Western European knights from the Third Crusade in 1189 – 1192 AD, the archaeological research team has…
576th Year since Battle of Varna, ‘Battle of Peoples’ of European Christians against Ottoman Empire, Goes without Any Events in Bulgaria
The 576th year since the Battle of Varna in 1444, also known as the “Battle of Peoples” or the last medieval battle for Bulgaria, in which the Ottoman Empire routed the European Christian forces, was marked on Tuesday, November 10,…
Massive Hexagonal Tower Keep, Horn Workshop Excavated in Medieval Fortress Rusocastro in Southeast Bulgaria
Archaeologists have excavated in full a massive hexagonal tower keep, which towered in the 13th-14th century over the medieval Bulgarian and Byzantine fortress of Rusocastro in today’s Southeast Bulgaria.
Bulgaria Celebrates Day of National Awakeners
Bulgaria marks on November 1, 2020, its Day of National Awakeners, a holiday designed to honor the people who brought about the “awakening” or revival of the Bulgarian nation in the 18th, 19th and early 20th century.
14th Century Silver Coin of Tsar Ivan Alexander of Second Bulgarian Empire Becomes August 2020 ‘Exhibit of the Month’ in National Archaeology Museum
A silver coin minted by Tsar Ivan (Yoan) Alexander (r. 1331 – 1371), the last relatively successful ruler of the Second Bulgarian Empire before its conquest by the Ottoman Turks in the 14th century, has been declared “exhibit of the…
14th Century Murals with ‘Warrior Saints’ Found in Newly Discovered Church in Medieval City Cherven in Northeast Bulgaria
A previously unknown church from the major medieval Bulgarian city of Cherven has been discovered and excavated over the past three archaeological seasons, exposing surviving church murals from the 14th century containing a scene with “warrior saints”.
‘Age of Empires’ Finally Features Medieval Bulgarian Empire, Bulgarians in ‘Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition’
The glorious medieval Bulgarian Empire has finally made its way to the cult Microsoft real-time strategy video game “Age of Empires” as the Bulgarians are now featured in the newly-released “Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition”.
First Ever Synagogue from Medieval Bulgarian Empire Discovered in Trapesitsa Fortress in Old Capital Veliko Tarnovo
The first known synagogue from the times of the medieval Bulgarian Empire has been discovered by archaeologists excavating the Trapesitsa Fortress in the city of Veliko Tarnovo, the successor of Tarnovgrad, which was capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire in…
Bulgaria Marks 575 Years since Battle of Varna in 1444, ‘Battle of Peoples’ in Which Ottoman Empire Defeated Christian Europeans
As they celebrate the 30th anniversary since the Fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the communist regimes, Bulgaria and other countries in Central and Eastern Europe also mark with remembrance events the 575th year since the Battle…
Bones of Camels, European Bison Discovered in Medieval Rusocastro Fortress in Southeast Bulgaria
Bones of camels and European bison as well as a very wide range of other wild and domestic animals have been discovered by archaeologists during the 2019 excavations of the Rusocastro Fortress, a major Byzantine and Bulgarian city in the…
‘Extremely Rare’ Wall Tower Discovered in Medieval Trapesitsa Fortress in Bulgaria’s Veliko Tarnovo
A previously unknown fortress tower described as an “extremely rare facility” has been discovered by archaeologists excavating the Trapesitsa Fortress in the city of Veliko Tarnovo in Central North Bulgaria.
Sofia Celebrates Holiday, 140th Anniversary since Becoming Capital of Bulgaria
The city of Sofia celebrates on Tuesday, September 17, 2019, its city holiday, the Day of St. Sophia and her three daughters, Saints Faith, Hope, and Charity, with this year’s events being marked by the continuing celebrations of the 140th…
3 Species of Treasure Hunters Are Destroying Archaeology in Bulgaria’s ‘Plunder Paradise’ worth up to USD 1 Billion a Year, New Book Reveals
Three “species” of treasure hunters dubbed “diggers”, “yuppies” and “super experts”, whose a total number is in the low six figures, are destroying the world archaeology and history heritage found in Bulgaria in a criminal industry worth up to 1…
Silver Medieval Venetian Coins Discovered in Rusocastro Fortress in Southeast Bulgaria
A total of three silver coins minted in the medieval Republic of Venice, an Italian city-state that was a major power in the Mediterranean, have been discovered in very good condition by archaeologists excavating the fortress of Rusocastro in Southeast…
15,000 Attend Grand Opening of World’s Largest Historical Park near Bulgaria’s Black Sea City Varna
More than 15,000 people have attended the grand opening of the world’s largest “Historical Park” for cultural tourism, education, and entertainment located in the town of Neofit Rilski, near the Black Sea city of Varna in Northeast Bulgaria.
Top Church of Second Bulgarian Empire nearly Flooded by Yantra River in Bulgaria’s Veliko Tarnovo
The Holy Forty Martyrs Church, an early 13th century church in Bulgaria’s Veliko Tarnovo, which could probably be described as the most important temple in the Second Bulgarian Empire, has been almost flooded by the rising waters of the Yantra…
