"Birds - heavenly messengers or what?" This is the name of the travelling exhibition of the Historical Museum of Pomorie, which presents the mysticism and traditions associated with the notions of birds from antiquity to the present day.

From the beginning of November to March 2022, the exhibition visited the Stone Hall of the the Architectural and Park Complex "The Palace" in Bulgaria’s Balchik on the Black Sea coast, already arousing unprecedented interest among the large audience. In the centre of the exhibition hall is a tent, and a shamanic costume with a crown of peacock feathers is included, which anyone can wear.

In ancient times, birds were perceived as guides for human souls in the afterlife. Visitors can see a naturally mummified so-called Small bird with a massive beak, found in Kozareva mound from the 5^th millennium BC in the municipality of Pomorie, or replicas of ceramic roosters found during excavations of a necropolis from the V-IV century BC in Apollonia /today's Sozopol/, as well as other mystical finds related to the perception of birds in Bulgarian lands.

The Natural History Museum in the city of Burgas also participates in the exhibition with exhibits of stuffed birds.

Compiled by Veneta Nikolova

English version Rositsa Petkova