Kazanlak, Bulgaria, at the foot of the Balkan mountain range, is not a tourist hotspot. It isn’t one of those sultry, sexy, showy tourist destinations. It isn’t that place that everyone is talking about.
It’s just quiet, little, overlooked Kazanlak.
Kazanlak town square. Photo credit: Benjamin White
Thracian tomb of Kazanlak
Kazanlak does have an ace up it’s sleeve: a Thracian burial tomb from the 4th Century BCE. Tourists aren’t allowed into the original tomb anymore, but a tourist-friendly replica has been constructed nearby.
Corridor leading into the Thracian tomb. Photo credit: Benjamin White
The tomb is relatively modest in size; I imagine with just one or two others present it would be quite squeezy inside.
You enter through a narrow corridor that leads towards the circular burial chamber. Nothing exceptional to report so far.
Murals on the ceiling of the Thracian tomb. Photo credit: Benjamin White
But then you look at the ceiling and you understand why UNESCO has given this site World Heritage listing, and why they have described it as the only one of its kind anywhere in the world, and a masterpiece of the Thracian creative spirit.
Murals on the ceiling of the Thracian tomb. Photo credit: Benjamin White
The 2,500 year old murals depict a couple (the two holding hands in the photo above) attending a funeral feast.
The Valley of the Roses
Thracian tombs amongst the rose fields. Photo credit: Benjamin White
Kazanlak is situated in the centre of the Valley of the Roses, a colloquial term for the rose oil production region of Bulgaria.
Bulgaria, in case you didn’t know, is one of the largest rose oil producers in the world.
Photo credit: Benjamin White
Amidst the rose farms are a series of large, lumpy, grass-covered mounds.
What are they?
Thracian tombs, of course.
Iskra History Museum, Kazanlak
Artefacts at the Iskra History Museum. Photo credit: Benjamin White
Humans have been settled in the Kazanlak region since the 6th to 5th Millennium BCE. Which means the countryside is littered with archaeological sites.
The Iskra History Museum in Kazanlak houses thousands of artefacts and curiosities, including many remarkable pieces of worked gold from the Thracian civilisation.
Seuthopolis
Seuthopolis, a Thracian settlement located ten kilometres from the city of Kazanlak, was founded by King Seuthes III. It was the capital of the Odrysian kingdom (a union of approximately 40 Thracian tribes) and is the best preserved Thracian settlement in Bulgaria.
Unfortunately it currently lies at the bottom of a lake (Koprinka Reservoir was completed in 1954, despite the discovery of the city ruins in 1944).
The Seuthopolis National Initiative’s vision for the site. Image source: www.seutopolis.info
The Seuthopolis National Initiative is an ambitious proposal that involves building a circular dam wall around the remains of the city, pumping out all the water from within the walls, and thus providing tourists – and archaeologists – access to the ruins. Visitors would have to catch a boat to the dam wall and descend to the lake floor via stairs or elevators.
The proposal is not a joke. More details can be found here:
http://www.sevtopolis.suhranibulgarskoto.org/en_obekt.php
Buzludzha
Buzludzha monument in the distance. Photo credit: Benjamin White
Buzludzha peak is the site of a famous battle staged between the Bulgarian rebels and the Ottoman army in 1868. An enormous brutalist monument was created on top of the peak – care of the Bulgarian Communist Party – in 1981 to commemorate the battle and subsequent independence efforts.
‘Buzludzha Monument Auditorium’ by Stanislav Traykov available at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Buzludzha_Monument_Auditorium.jpg under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. Full terms at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en
The cavernous assembly hall, decorated with mural mosaics featuring prominent communist figures, was originally used as the headquarters of the Bulgarian Communist Party.
Communism came to en end in Bulgaria in 1989. The Buzludzha Monument was abandoned and soon fell into disrepair. It is often included in lists of the world’s top ten abandoned buildings.
Practical information and how to reach Kazanlak:
Kazanlak can be reached from Plovdiv (two hours) or Veliko Tarnovo (two hours). Buses run infrequently though so check the timetable before setting off. More transport info here.
Read more on the Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak in the UNESCO World Heritage listing.
More on Bulgaria:
Plovdiv – do you like history? then this city is for you!!
Veliko Tarnovo – capital of Bulgarian Empire No.2
Rila Monastery – illustrated with frescos of demons and sinners in hell
Sofia – the Thracian, Serd, Roman, Bulgar capital
Magura Cave – Stone Age cave paintings with a focus on fertility rituals
More on the Balkans:
Albania:
Berat – town of 1000 windows = no window tax!
Bosnia and Herzegovina:
Sarajevo – Franz Ferdinand, and the Jerusalem of Europe
Mostar – bullet holes, a sniper tower, a prized Ottoman bridge
Croatia:
Kosovo:
Pristina – capital of the newborn country complete with Bill Clinton statue
Republic of Macedonia:
Ohrid – an old, deep lake, where Cyrillic was invented?
Skopje – controversial statues, and ownership of Alex the Great?
Montenegro:
Kotor – Byzantine walled city? yes! Adriatic fjord? hmm… not exactly
The paintings of the horses are so incredible. They look like they were painted only recently. I hope the project gets off the ground to build that circular dam, that would be an amazing feat
Kazzieandkitty
I really hope the Seuthopolis project gets funding. It’s a great idea.