Tatul Thracian Tomb

Thracian tomb near Tatul is one of the most interesting sights, you can visit in Southern Bulgaria. In essence, the tomb is a sanctuary of Orpheus, which is located next to the village of Tatul , which in turn is about 15 km to the northeast of the city Momchilgrad. The Thracian tomb near Tatul was discovered near the fort, which is located about 200-300 meters of the village.

According to research specialists, Thracian tomb near Tatul dates back 12 centuries BC. The sanctuary itself is a large rock in which are carved two rock tombs. Among them are eight steps and a carved niche for a ritual slab.

It is believed that the Thracians did not randomly select the site. Typically, such shrines are rising upland, which dominates the surrounding area. This symbolizes the maximum closeness and contact with the afterlife. The Thracian tomb near Tatul was built in the higher parts of the eastern Rhodopes.

The basic foundation in the former ancient rituals was the fire. The Thracians believed that through the fire people communicated with the gods. It is believed that the entire peak was touched by the fires which were seen by tens of kilometers. The Thracian tomb is an archaeological relic which is unique because it is the only ground temple which was discovered on Bulgarian territory.

The eastern part of the sanctuary is open to rising, probably because of the cult of the sun god known as Dionysus. Archaeologists are adamant that the Thracian tomb near Tatul was raised in 4th - 3rd century BC.

After the arrival of the Roman troops in these places, the tomb was completely rebuilt along with the fence wall. It is then that the construction of the tomb near Tatul had new facilities added in which they performed the rites which are to take place before the open.