Madar Nature Reserve
The Madara National Historical and Archaeological Reserve in Bulgaria is a combination of beautiful nature, numerous historical monuments and a careful human attitude to all this. Visiting the reserve will bring a lot of positive emotions to everyone.
The history of the reserve
The territory where the Madara Nature Reserve is located today has been inhabited by humans since ancient times. There is everything for a comfortable stay. Nature, as it were, has specially prepared reliable caves suitable not only for everyday life, but also for conducting various religious rituals. In addition, the local vegetation produced excellent fruits of gathering, and the water, which is abundant here, is always a source of life.
In later times, in the 14th century, there was a monastery in the caves located here. The cells of the brethren, churches, refectory tombs, all this fits into more than 150 caves of natural origin and not only.
It is believed that with the advent of Ottoman rule in these places, most of the cultural monuments of different times were destroyed and only a few have survived to this day. Today, this territory is under protection, all existing facilities are carefully preserved.
Attractions
The Madara Horseman is the most famous monument of ancient culture in the reserve. He represents a figure of war on horseback, holding a spear in his hands, with which he pierces a lion, and a dog accompanies the rider. It is not known exactly who is depicted on the rock, there are several different assumptions. Anyway, the horseman is the only such art object in all of Europe, therefore it is under the protection of UNESCO. Around the rider, there are inscriptions in an ancient language carved into stone.
Madara Fortress, or rather the ruins of the fortress, they are located on the very top of the plateau. There is almost nothing left of the majestic fortress, but after overcoming the difficult path of many steps, you can admire the beautiful view of the surroundings of the reserve.
The sanctuary of the nymphs is a cave, according to legend, the forest nymphs-goddesses (water, forest and fertility) lived in it. The object is also called the "big cave", next to it there is also a "small" one in which archaeologists have discovered traces of ancient people. The Chapel of St. Panteleimon is a fully functioning chapel, divine services are held here, people come to pray and light a candle. There is an icon of the Mother of God with a baby right on the wall.
There is a museum at the entrance to the Madara Nature Reserve, where a large number of various artifacts found on the territory are displayed in a small room.
There are eco-trails on the territory of the Madara Archaeological Reserve, so you can observe the sights. The nature reserve is one of its attractions. Amazing snow-white cliffs are adjacent to tall dense greenery. Small streams flow down the rocks here and there, the water in them is considered very useful and many people come here specifically for the healing liquid. For souvenir lovers, there are benches with a variety of memorabilia.
