Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 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

President Rumen Radev calls for improving Bulgaria's digital infrastructure

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev held a meeting with the management of United Group , at which the prospects for the construction of large data centers and investments in the field of cybersecurity were discussed. The head of state emphasized the..

published on 1/22/25 8:54 AM

Bulgaria participates in FITUR 2025 in Madrid

Bulgaria is among the leading participants in FITUR 2025 – one of the largest and important international tourism fairs, which is taking place in Madrid, Spain, from January 22 to January 26. The event brings together representatives..

published on 1/22/25 7:45 AM

Daytime temperatures will rise, but it will be cloudy in the morning

On Wednesday in the morning hours when temperatures will be slightly below zero, there will be conditions for black ice to form. The lowest temperatures will be between minus 4 and 1°C; in Sofia it will be around minus 2°C. Before..

published on 1/21/25 6:50 PM