Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Drone photos show a bird's eye view of the legendary Thracian sanctuary of Orpheus near the village of Tatul

Photo: Aneliya Kryndeva

New drone photos show the legendary Thracian sanctuary of Orpheus near the village of Tatul from a bird's eye view. A few days ago, the archaeological excavations near the unique temple of the mythical Thracian hero, discovered at the beginning of the XXI century near the village of Tatul in Momchilgrad, were completed. 

The head of the archaeological works in the Rhodope Mountains, Prof. Dr. Nikolay Ovcharov, has filmed the well-preserved sites with a drone. Anyone interested in the history and archaeology of these lands can get a bird's eye view of the early Christian church and the Roman temple near the legendary sanctuary of Orpheus. 

Excavations in the autumn of 2022 have uncovered the remains of a large Christian church built in the 5th-6th centuries. In the words of Prof. Dr. Ovcharov it lasted until the 9th-12th centuries. Its size, reaching almost 18 m in length, ranks it among the three largest Christian temples discovered so far in the Eastern Rhodopes. The surprise discovery was that the church was built on the foundations of a much older monumental building. 

Fragments of walls and an almost 2-m wide massive stone threshold at the entrance testify that there was a huge temple there, which according to archaeologist Ovcharov can be dated to the 3rd-4th century, judging by the coins and ceramics found. 


Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Center for mental health in Sofia district

Psychiatric care in Bulgaria relies on only 572 specialists

Workers in state psychiatric hospitals have gone on strike demanding higher salaries and better working conditions, including adequate workplace protection , as they work with dangerous patients.  Mental health professionals launch a three-day..

published on 3/19/25 2:05 PM
Kostadin Kostadinov, leader of Vazrazhdane party

Vazrazhdane, MECH and Velichie parties demand referendum on the adoption of the euro

A proposal for holding a referendum on preserving the Bulgarian lev has been submitted to the parliament's registry office. This was announced by the chairman of Vazrazhdane, Kostadin Kostadinov. We have collected 52 signatures, he pointed out...

published on 3/19/25 1:43 PM

According to the cabinet, Ruse-Veliko Tarnovo highway is a project of international significance

The Ruse-Veliko Tarnovo highway is an extremely important project of national importance, which has significance beyond the borders of Bulgaria as a vertical corridor from Greece to Romania, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said at..

published on 3/19/25 11:54 AM