Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Drone photos show a bird's eye view of the legendary Thracian sanctuary of Orpheus near the village of Tatul

Photo: Aneliya Kryndeva

New drone photos show the legendary Thracian sanctuary of Orpheus near the village of Tatul from a bird's eye view. A few days ago, the archaeological excavations near the unique temple of the mythical Thracian hero, discovered at the beginning of the XXI century near the village of Tatul in Momchilgrad, were completed. 

The head of the archaeological works in the Rhodope Mountains, Prof. Dr. Nikolay Ovcharov, has filmed the well-preserved sites with a drone. Anyone interested in the history and archaeology of these lands can get a bird's eye view of the early Christian church and the Roman temple near the legendary sanctuary of Orpheus. 

Excavations in the autumn of 2022 have uncovered the remains of a large Christian church built in the 5th-6th centuries. In the words of Prof. Dr. Ovcharov it lasted until the 9th-12th centuries. Its size, reaching almost 18 m in length, ranks it among the three largest Christian temples discovered so far in the Eastern Rhodopes. The surprise discovery was that the church was built on the foundations of a much older monumental building. 

Fragments of walls and an almost 2-m wide massive stone threshold at the entrance testify that there was a huge temple there, which according to archaeologist Ovcharov can be dated to the 3rd-4th century, judging by the coins and ceramics found. 


Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

50 drones paint a heart in the sky on World Heart Day

The initiative "Take a Walk with Your Cardiologist" was held in major Bulgarian cities to mark today’s World Heart Day. The Organizers from the Bulgarian Society of Cardiology emphasized the importance of regular moderate physical..

published on 9/29/24 5:53 PM

Weather forecast for Monday: Precipitation stops but temperatures remain low

On Monday, there will still be showers in the eastern half of the country. It will stop raining by the evening. Clouds will break in the western part of the country. It will be mostly sunny in Southwestern Bulgaria in the afternoon. There will be..

published on 9/29/24 5:20 PM

The tambura, gadulka and shepherd's flute may soon disappear from the music stages

Traditional folk instruments, including the tambura, gadulka and kaval (shepherd's flute) are expected to disappear from Bulgarian stages within 10 to 15 years if no attention is paid to folk music performers, shows an analysis from a field study..

published on 9/29/24 4:28 PM