About 800 years ago, a man named Haji Bektash (hence the name Bektashi) began an order that emphasized the mystical work of loving God rather than observing the commandments. The Bektashi expressed their love for God through rituals of singing, drinking alcohol (which is considered [...]
Indo-Europeans in the Western Balkans The main evidence for the Indo-European invasions—or rather, the Indo-European migrations—comes from the Bronze Age cemeteries in Bosnia (Belotić, Bela Crkva), where the dead were cremated and the skull was separated from the body. In contrast to the sky or [...]
Illyrian Wars with the Romans Philip of Macedon fought the Illyrians, managed to defeat them, and took control of the Ohrid region; he invaded as far as Kosovo and Shkodra in northern Albania. Consequently, there was increasing contact between the populations, and this led to [...]
The Middle Ages in Albania In the 5th century AD, the Balkans were invaded by the Ostrogoths, Huns, and Alans—tribes of Germanic and Central Asian (often referred to as Mongolic) origin—who brought about the collapse of the existing Romanized culture. In the aftermath of this [...]
Near Lake Varna is a nearly 7,000-year-old cemetery that is considered one of the most important prehistoric sites in the world. Worked metals of copper and gold, obsidian glass, ceramics, and jewelry representing an ancient prehistoric culture called the "Varna culture" were found there. About [...]
To the north of the Balkan Mountains, there is an area of sloping hills extending for about 100 km to the Danube River. In this area lived the Getae Thracians – Dacian tribes. One of their centers was the sacred burial site of Sveshtari in [...]
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 [...]
Near the city of Haskovo, in the heart of the Thracian plain, is a Thracian temple-tomb from the 4th century BC. It is a World Heritage Site due to the importance of the unique paintings found there, among them a one-of-a-kind depiction of the Thracian [...]
The Maritza River, which begins in the Rila Mountains, flows northeast and then southeast toward the Mediterranean Sea for 500 km. Along its course, it passes through fertile valleys where the main cities of Bulgaria are located, including Svilengrad, which is not far from the [...]
Deaf Stones - (Gluhite Kamani)This is the easternmost megalithic site in the Rhodope Mountains, and one of the most beautiful among them, known as “The Deaf Stones.” It features hundreds of trapezoidal niches engraved and carved into giant rocks tens of meters high, stairways leading [...]
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