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

"You are beautiful," an antique mirror tells us

The Archaeological Museum in Burgas presents an intriguing exhibition of miniature mirrors

Photo: BTA

A display case with small mirrors is part of an exhibition dedicated to the theme of female beauty in antiquity, presented in the Archaeological Museum in the city of Burgas. The exhibition is entitled "Whims through Antiquity. Look in the mirror" and was created on the occasion of March 8, International Women's Day. In antiquity, there were two types of mirrors - functional and votive. The first were used by high-ranking ladies, and the latter were placed as a gift to the goddess when women asked her to grant a wish. The discovery of similar objects in burials in the region is evidence that there was a shrine to one of the goddesses from the Greco-Roman pantheon nearby.

The mirrors presented in the Burgas museum have been restored and date from the II-IV century. They are made of lead. One will find interesting the inscriptions on them. Some of them read: "You are beautiful", "Nice things belong to beautiful women", "Beauty, take me."


On one of the most interesting mirrors presented in the exhibition, there is no inscription, but there is an image of a goddess, presumably Hera, Aphrodite or one of the three nymphs.

Some of the mirrors were found during archaeological works near the village of Rouen, the village of Yabalchevo, Aquae Calidae, the region of Pomorie, etc.

The exhibition can be seen until the end of March.

See also




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

Patriarch Daniil

Patriarch Daniil congratulates Metrpolitan Onufriy of Kyiv on the 10th anniversary of his enthronement

Patriarch Daniil of Bulgaria sent a letter to Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv and All Ukraine (Moscow Patriarchate), the Bulgarian Patriarchate reported. The message reads: "Your Beatitude, on this date exactly 10 years ago, your solemn enthronement as..

published on 8/20/24 9:31 AM

Orthodox Christians in Bulgaria mark the Dormition of St. John of Rila

Orthodox Christians mark the Dormition of St. John of Rila, who is considered the heavenly protector of the Bulgarian people. The saint was born in the village of Skrino in the Osogovo Mountain in the second half of the 9th..

published on 8/18/24 11:21 AM

Reconstruction of a Roman military camp near Apriltsi

A reconstruction of a Roman battle camp is being organized in the municipality of Apriltsi from August 16 to 18 . The event in the park of the "Novo Selo" district is mainly aimed at children and family audiences.  On Mount Ostrets near Apriltsi there..

published on 8/16/24 5:15 AM