Begliktash

Begliktash is a huge megalithic site near the Black Sea, considered the oldest megalithic site in Europe and one of the most impressive. The place was already sacred in prehistoric times, though some archaeologists claim it is “only” from the 10th century BC. It is based on huge natural rocks that were shaped and carved by an unknown culture—perhaps the one that sank into the waters of the Black Sea.

The site covers thousands of square meters. At its entrance, there is a kind of bridal bed between two rocks—or, in another interpretation, an altar—and at its heart is a womb-like cave beneath one of the rocks. At the end of the cave, there is a stone surface that sunlight penetrates only once a day at noon, thus symbolically fertilizing the “womb of the earth.” The cave is formed by a huge rock cliff weighing hundreds of tons, which rests on the bedrock at only two points, creating a kind of arch—resembling a female vagina—through which one can see another rock shaped like a phallus penetrating the space and impregnating it. In other words, there is symbolism here of the union of male and female, and the place was likely used for sacred marriage ceremonies.

At the heart of the complex are parts that were probably intended only for initiates or devotees, such as the labyrinth—an arrangement of giant stones through which one must pass without knowing where the path will lead—or the sundial, a row of giant stones leaning against each other, each representing an hour, with a shadow falling upon them from a nearby menhir (a large standing stone).

The site is large and includes many huge standing stones, generally arranged in two circles. The question arises: were the stones found there naturally and merely shaped by the ancients, or were they brought from elsewhere and arranged artificially by a culture with technology superior to ours—capable of moving such massive stones? If the latter is true, then the site may be far older than previously believed.

According to some archaeologists, the stones are indeed natural, but some were shaped 2,500 to 3,000 years ago by the Thracian people, who lived in the area and treated the site as sacred. According to others, such as Anna Raduncheva, the stones were shaped much earlier, in prehistoric times, and were merely “remodeled” by the Thracians.

The site of Begliktash is located near the town of Primorsko, on the shores of the Black Sea, in the area that once housed the hunting estate of communist ruler Todor Zhivkov. As a result, the site was unknown to the public until 1991, following the fall of communism. Zhivkov’s daughter, Lyudmila Zhivkova, was a well-known mystic and one of the seekers of lost ancient civilizations in Bulgaria. There is little doubt that she knew of the site’s existence, but for some reason, she may have chosen to keep it a secret.

The site of Begliktash is not far from the old city of Sozopol, one of the most picturesque towns on the Black Sea coast. It has been used as a port since the Neolithic period and was founded as a Greek city called Apollonia by settlers from Miletus in the 7th century BC. Today it is a beautiful tourist destination, surrounded by a wall, on a peninsula jutting into the sea.