Each year on October 9, Bulgaria marks the Ancient Culture Day. We are talking about the indisputable influence of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, which determined the overall development of Europe from 1,000 BC until the 6^th-7^th century AD. The territory of Bulgaria literally abounds with evidence from this period.

The ancient polis of Heraclea Sintica – a cosmopolitan center for different tribes, ethnicities and peoples, reveals its ancient heritage on the territory of the Municipality of Petrich, Southwestern Bulgaria. The archaeological excavations in the ancient city of Heraclea Sintica began in 2017 under the guidance of Associate Professor Lyudmil Vagalinski. This summer archaeologists discovered multiple valuable artifacts during excavations at the ancient city of Heraclea Sintica, including a depiction of Alexander the Great, a relief depicting a musician, a massive marble sculpture of a bull, a statue connected with the cult of Mitra and a 1^st century inscription in honor of Emperor Tiberius. An exquisite life-size statue of a young woman is the most interesting archaeological find. According to archaeologists, this is a statue of the ancient Greek goddess of victory Nike, because it was discovered on the spot where the Acropolis once stood- the sanctuary of the ancient town.

You can learn more details from Radio Bulgaria’s article: “Ancient polis of Heraclea Sintica Revealing its Secrets”

Compiled by: Veneta Nikolova

English version: Kostadin Atanasov