Bulgaria is an amazing combination of spectacular scenery and nature, fascinating history and unique culture.
First the Thracians…
The golden treasures from Varna Necropol (starting from 7000 B.C.), treasures such as the Vulchitrun (13th century B.C.), Panagyurishte (400 B.C.) and the Rogozen (500 B.C.) treasures, as well as the tombs in Kazanluk, Sveshtari and Varna evidence that millennias ago Bulgaria was inhabited by the Thracians. Bulgarian culture starts with them…
Then the Romans…
During the 2nd century B.C., after its victory over Carthage, Rome turned its conquering appetites to the Hellenic world and colonialized it. The Romans established settlements such as Serdica (present-day Sofia) and Trimontium (Plovdiv), built roads, bridges, stadiums and amphitheaters.
The Roman hegemony continued until the time of the great migrations – the 6th century.
And finally the Bulgarians…
Bulgaria was founded as a state in 681 after heroically standing up against the Byzantine might. Two centuries later, after the conversion to Christianity, it threw its doors open to Byzantine influence, thus enriching its culture – a harmonious symbiosis of Slav and proto-Bulgarian elements.
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 And their Empire…
At the time of the first and second Bulgarian kingdom (7 – 14th century) Bulgaria was one of the most powerful empires in Europe, its territories spreading out to two seas. The remains of the three medieval capitals – Pliska, Preslav and Veliko Turnovo – provide an idea of the appearance of the Bulgarian cities during the Middle Ages. Churches started being built during the 10th century, elegant in shape and size, with magnificent ornaments – mosaics, carved capitals and cornices, porticos and atriums. Later frescoes were painted inside the churches.
And alphabet ...
In 865 The Bulgarian King, Boris 1, invites the scholars St. Cyril and
St. Methodius in Bulgaria, and there comes to light the Cyrillic
alphabet, Bulgaria’s own alphabet, and the third alphabet in Europe
after the Latin and Greek alphabets. The Bulgarian created a marvelous
literature and spread it to the other Slav people – the Russians,
Ukrainians, Belo Russians and Serbs, and so the Bulgarians complete
the biggest mission in the Slav world.
Old-Word Traditions…
Bulgaria is the country of the oldest of European cultures,
safekeeping it deep in her own unique culture and folklore, and
reviving it anew for Europe. The multifarious people that passed a
land of rich traditions. Vibrant folklore is seen in villages, in
performances by world-renown song and dance troupes, and in
pre-Christian pagan rituals. Bulgaria is known for its wonderful
architecture, monasteries, wine, cuisine and art.
The land of Orpheus…
The richness and variety of traditional Bulgarian music lives on
today. Bulgaria is a country of musicians, singers, dancers and
artists whose successes and fame have gone far beyond the country’s
borders. The names of many of them like Boris Hristov, Nikolai
Giaurov, Raina Kabaivanska, Alexandrina Milcheva and Gena Dimitrova
are a permanent fixture on the bills of the world’s best known opera
stages and exhibition halls.
See here the Bulgarian Cultural Calendar 2002
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