Hello friends. Last summer I had the opportunity and happiness to visit some of the most interesting and remarkable places in Bulgaria. Some of them I have already managed to show you here in a series of my posts, and today I continue and will make you a virtual walk to another of these unique places, namely to the National Historical - Archaeological Reserve "Pliska".
Pliska is the first Bulgarian capital since the founding of Bulgaria as a state by Khan Asparuh in 681 year . To date, some of the remains and ruins of ancient Pliska that have been preserved have been turned into an open-air museum, which you can visit at any time of the year. The place is located only 2-3 km from the modern town of Pliska and is accessible by car. There are signposts to follow along the way. They will take you to the eastern gate which was the main for the fortress, and today is the entrance for visitors. On the spot there is a parking lot and a point where you can pay the fee of BGN 5 for the tour of the reserve.
So we arrive around 14:00 in the afternoon, and after buying tickets from the checkpoint we head to the entrance.
We pass along a picturesque green alley surrounded by ancient trees and head to the palace complex.
Here we will see the ruins of the so-called Krumov Palace, as well as the remains of the throne room, which was built at a later stage by Khan Omurtag, on the site of the burned and destroyed Krumov Palace.
The remains of massive protective stone fortress walls can be seen around. There are also other traces of various buildings. Here you will also see secret underground exits for escape in case of attack, as well as large massive reservoirs.
In the immediate vicinity we see a unique stone square , which according to archaeologists was used for sporting events in the past.
In front of all the most interesting and attractive remains, there are information boards in Bulgarian and English to help visitors navigate the environment.
Following the signboard, we head to the Archaeological Museum, which is located in the reserve
On the lawn in front of the museum we see a unique model of an authentic yurt.
We enter with great interest to see the museum itself. Here are collected and exhibited, all things and objects that were found on the territory of the reserve during the archaeological excavations.
After we had finished the tour of the museum, we head back to the exit of the reserve and the parking lot.
After about 5-10 minutes, we are already at our car.
However, this is not the end of our trip :)))We go drive by the so-called ceremonial road in the direction of cathedral the Great Basilica , which is located very close to the reserve, about 1minute drive.
The Great Basilica is the first Bulgarian Orthodox church, built by king Boris I, after the christening of the Bulgarians in 864, in the town of Pliska.
It represents a religious-palace complex, which includes a basilica, a monastery and an archbishop's palace. It is one of the largest temples in Southeastern Europe during the Middle Ages. For several hundred years it served as a cathedral and a princely, monastic and episcopal church. The basilica was surrounded by a stone wall over 4 meters high.
And now I will show you what I saw, so that you can enjoy it too :)))
Although the cathedral has only been partially restored, from what we see, from its impressive size, and unique architecture, its former grandeur is still evident.
The Pliska National Historical and Archaeological Reserve has been declared an archeological cultural monument of national importance, and is one of the hundred national tourist sites!
With that, our interesting trip ends and it's time to go home.I hope you found my post interesting and enjoyable
I wish everyone a nice weekend, stay healthy!