Tag: Church

In the first part of 2018, Bulgaria will be home to the revolving presidency of the Council of the European Union. Sofia, the capital, will host many of the events of the presidency. This Balkan country is well worth closer scrutiny by discerning travelers, offering much diversity in such a small, largely mountainous rural area. Bulgaria is bordered on the north by Romania, by Serbia and Macedonia to the west, by Greece and Turkey to the south, and is blessed with the Black Sea on the east. From Neolithic times, the population has been made up of Thracians, Greeks, Persians, Celts, Romans, Alans and Huns, weaving it into its own Balkan tapestry and melting pot. Prehistoric settlements have been excavated throughout the country, discovering town walls from antiquity, dating back to before the 7th century BC. National History Museum Highlights The National History Museum of Sofia Bulgaria and the Boyana Church (UNESCO) are easily accessible from Sofia and make for an easy day trip from the Bulgarian Capital. The National History Museum is the largest museum in the Balkans, housing the most impressive collection of national Bulgarian Treasures. Exhibits start from prehistory to the present. Established in 1973, the building itself is significant in that it was the former residence of the communist government in Bulgaria where, in 1989, the last communist leader was removed from power. The architecture is reminiscent of the old Soviet Bloq style. Perhaps the most important and interesting collections are of the oldest man-made golden treasures like those found at the Varna necropolis from the 6th millennium BC  to the 11th millennium BC,  or, the golden necklace from Dabene from the beginning of the 11th millennium BC.   In 2004, near the village of Dabene in central Bulgaria, archaeologists from the National Historic Museum found a woman wearing an