THE RIDER OF MADARA (КОННИК МАДАРСКИЯТ)

The site of Madara represents one of the most beautiful visits in the region. Mark this visit as an almost obligatory one on your way to the Danube plain. The site combines architectural remains and natural beauty, with its cliffs and caves. Madara was the first sacred place of the first Bulgarian Empire, before the conversion of Bulgaria in the 9th century. Of this ancient proto-Bulgarian city of the 8th century, the first thing that remains is the famous Cavalier. Classified by UNESCO as a world heritage site, this horseman, victorious over a lion sculpted in limestone around 710 AD, guarding the entrance to the town at the foot of the plateau, is of mysterious beauty. At a height of 23 m, on the cliffside, this bas-relief is truly impressive! It represents a man on horseback holding a spear in a lion at the foot of his horse. A dog runs after the rider. The bas-relief was executed during the time of the Bulgarian khan Tervel; some scientists believe that it is a representation of the khan himself. The Greek inscriptions reveal important elements of Bulgarian history, mentioning the said Tervel.

A path allows you to see the other sites of the natural park: the ruins of the fortress and ancient town, on the plateau above the rider, a monastery carved out of the rock, a 12th-14th century tomb and some very impressive cave-caves. Again, not to be missed