Cultural heritage

OUR SWIM

TEAM

Bulgarian students
present

CULTURAL
HERITAGE

of the town of Dobrich
and region

The territory of Dobrich town is a unique mosaic of natural and
archaeological sites of interest. Preserved remnants of ancient Greek
colonies and Thracian cultural centers, medieval citadels and
ethnographic landmarks are all places of cultural interest.
The area is also where one of the two major birth migration routes
passes – the so-called "Via Pontika". Kaliakra Reserve is the only one in
Bulgaria, which extends over sea area. The furthest northern riparian
dense forest at the Black Sea coast in Bulgaria is located in Baltata. The
Lake of Shabla is one of the biggest habitats of water lily and yellow
pond-lily (Nuphar lutea) in Bulgaria.

The Museum
of Modern and Contemporary History

It is located in the beginning of the City Park "St. George". And was created in
1860 and is declared a monument of the Park-art. The museum is an object of
the Regional Historical Museum of Dobrich.
The museum has two exhibition halls :
- In the first hall is displayed a exhibition "The Nature of Dobrudja" - based on the
principle of dioramas, there are panoramic panels where different landscapes
with typical representatives of Dobrudja flora and fauna "come alive".
- Other hall is used for temporary and guest exhibitions and for meetings and
educational programs. There are held various museum events, educational
programs, auditoria, extracurricular activities, readings, children's workshops and
competitions.

Regional historical museum Dobrich

It was created in 1953 but its first museum exhibition was organized in 1960 in
the building of the former casino. The museum collects, studies, preserves and
presents cultural and natural heritage of Dobbrudja region The first exhibition of
the museum was opened in the former casino building in 1960. The world's
largest prehistoric necropolis on the west coast of Durankulak Lake was
discovered and studied. It stores over 180 000 exhibits, including - one of the
richest prehistoric collections in the country and the Balkans , made up from finds
from the archaeological complex near Durankulak (5300-4000 BC); one of the
largest collections of medieval weapons in Bulgaria; the collection "Revival icons
from Dobrudja" with the most numerous number of icons, depicting "St. St. Cyril
and Methodii "; the richest in Bulgaria funds, named after the world famous
Bulgarian writer Yordan Yovkov and others.

The museum organizes educational programs, scientific forums, archaeological
research, temporary exhibitions and other cultural events. It is a leading
institution for studying the history and culture of northeastern Bulgaria.

The open-air ethnographic museum
"Old Dobrich"

It is located in the center of the modern city of Dobrich, over the former Odun
bazaar. Here are stored and presented Dobrudjan crafts from the late XIXth and
early XXth century.
Masters, who have inherited their craft from their fathers and grandfathers -
tailors, knitters, woodcarvers, goldsmiths, potters, blacksmiths, coopers, etc., - do
their jobs in the restored workshops in front of the visitors' gaze. The old clock
tower built in the 18th century rises in the middle of the compound, and its
chimes resound over the entire town. The boza workshop offers boza, a
traditional beverage made of fermented wheat, with a thick consistency, a
pleasant aroma, a dark yellowish colour, and a low alcohol content, made using
an old recipe, while the bakery gives off the smell of freshly baked gevrek (Turkish
bagel), and the coffee shop invites people to sample the flavoury Turkish sand
coffee that uses a hot bed of sand to heat the coffee.



Balchik Botanical Garden

The Botanical Garden is the main attraction in town of Balchik. Its 10 hectares
surround the small summer palace of the Romanian Queen Marie. The gardens
are set on a steep hillside, and descend in 6 terraces to the sea - supposedly one
for each of the Queen`s children. There are over 3000 varieties of shrubs, roses
and flowers, set among streams, waterfalls, and ornamental channels.



Temple of Great Mother Goddess Cybele

This temple of Cybele had been discovered near Balchik in the spring of 2007
during excavations for the construction of an on-site hotel. The construction had
been stopped by the municipality.
The archaeologists are adamant that the Temple of Cybele is the largest discovery
in recent years because it is a public building and not a private tomb or mound.
This temple of mother goddess Cybele is unique not only for Bulgaria but also for
the Balkans. The archaeologists consider it is the most well preserved temple in
the world and it might become exceptionally important one.
The temple was active for 700 years. There are performed rituals even 100 years
after accepting of the Christianity. Based on the found inscriptions, documents
and coins it was defined that the temple of Cybele was built in the III-th century
BC and is a part of the ancient city Dionysopolis, which was located in the borders
of present town of Balchik.

Cape Kaliakra

The architectural reserve on its territory are located 12 km southeast of Kavarna.
It is an oblong, narrowing rocky peninsula that juts out about 2 km into the sea.
The rich history, the well-preserved landscape, and the beautiful panoramic views
make Cape Kaliakra one of the most attractive tourist spots on the Black Sea
Coast.
The slopes of the cape take a 60 – 70 m plunge straight into the sea. The waves
have carved caves and arches at its foot that can be approached only by the sea.
In the past these tunnel-caves were connected to the fortress and were used for
loading and unloading ships.
Kaliakra is a nature and archaeological reserve. It stretches over 687.5 decares
and comprises wild steppes and incredible coastal rocks. More than 400 plant
species can be found in the reserve. A total of 310 kinds of birds live on the
territory of Kaliakra and 100 of them require special measures for their habitats
preservation. 106 of these bird species are protected at European level. The
European Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) nests here. The region is extremely
important for migrating birds because Via pontica, the second biggest migratory
route in Europe, passes through it. Every autumn between August and October
thousands of birds fly through the reserve. This includes more than 29 000 storks,
pelicans, and cranes, as well as over 3000 birds of pray, including the globally
endangered Pallid Harrier /Circus macrourus/, Saker Falcon /Falco cherrug/ and
Eastern Imperial Eagle /Aquila heliaca/. Dolphins can be spotted in the sea around
the cape.
The first records providing information about the people who lived on the cape
date back to the 4th century BC, when the region was inhabited by Tirisis, a
Thracian tribe. This was probably the reason why the first name of the cape was
Tirisis. Later the fortified wall that was initially laid by the Thracian tribe was
restored and another fortified line was built. The remains of many buildings were
discovered on the territory of the outer town. A large building that used to be a
4th century The name Kaliakra, which means “beautiful cape”, was first
mentioned in the 13th – 14th centuries. In the 14th century the Bulgarian state
was divided in three, and Kaliakra became centre of its eastern-most part and
established itself as a big international harbour.

There are many legends related to Cape Kaliakra. The most famous one tells the
story of 40 Bulgarian girls led by the beautiful Kaliakra who jumped from the rocks
and into the sea to escape from the Ottomans. They braided their hair together to
make sure no one would back away.