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

Risk of hail on St George's Day

On Tuesday, minimum temperatures will be between 10 and 15°C , in Sofia - 13°C. The day will be mostly sunny with showers in the afternoon and evening. In western and northern Bulgaria there will be thunderstorms with the possibility of heavy rain and..

published on 5/5/25 7:05 PM

April frosts cause damage to the cherry orchards in Kyustendil district

About 30,000 hectares of orchards were damaged by the April frosts in the country. Deputy Ministers of Agriculture and Food Ivan Kapitanov and Yanislav Yanchev, who visited affected areas in Kyustendil district, mainly cherry orchards, announced..

published on 5/5/25 6:05 PM
Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov

Vazrazhdane has once again submitted a proposal for referendum on keepting the Bulgarian lev

For the third time, "Vazrazhdane" has submitted to the National Assembly a proposal to hold a referendum on preserving the Bulgarian lev with the question: “Do you agree to the Bulgarian Lev remaining the only official currency in Bulgaria until 2043?..

published on 5/5/25 5:54 PM