Bulgaria’s Perperikon opens after 4M leva restoration and landscaping
The archaeological site of Perperikon in Bulgaria, boasting thousands of years of history as a sacred place, has been ceremonially “opened” after a restoration project costing about four million leva.
Wooden walkways and stairs have been installed to protect the archaeological site from wear and tear, and a “House of Gods and Men” open-air museum has been added to the site. Special lighting also has been added.
About 250 000 tourists visit the site each year.
The “opening” was accompanied by a ceremony the night of September 9 with enactments of Thracian rituals and fire dancing.
Archaeological work at the site is continuing. A further 80 000 leva (about 40 000 euro) has been added to the budget for this year’s dig at Perperikon. An additional 30 workers on the site have been appointed.
Professor Nikolai Ovcharov, who has led the excavations at Perperikon in recent years, said that with the renovations, “we offer people wonderful infrastructure, now they will be able to walk on good paths”.
The concept of the museum was to enable people to learn about the development of human civilisation and religious faiths, Ovcharov said.
(Photo: Clive Leviev-Sawyer)