The Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari is part of the Sboryanovo Historical and Architectural Reserve, located in northeastern Bulgaria, 2.5 kilometers from the village of Sveshtari. It was discovered in 1982 during excavations of the Ginini Barrow. Three tombs were discovered, one of which belonged to a royal, as well as knowledge of funerary traditions and art that rivals even the most beautiful Egyptian tombs. It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
The Thracian tomb dates back from the 3rd century. It was probably used for the burial of a Thracian ruler. The dimensions of the chamber are remarkable: 7.5 meters long, 6.5 meters wide, and 4.45 meters tall. The tomb is in the form of a corridor with three square chambers: an entrance, burial chamber, and side chamber. The things that attract visitors are the polychrome frescoes and the half-man half-plant caryatids.
In the burial chamber lays the remains of the ruler. The ceiling of the tomb is supported by statues of 10 female figures with arms raised to a height of 1.2 meters. These 10 female statues as well as the decorations on the windows are only found in Thracian lands. The decorations on the walls and ceiling, which are unfinished, show that the ruler who the temple was built for died suddenly. The human bones and those of five horses attest to the wealth and high societal status of the ruler.
UNESCO site
Historical Monument
Museum
Bulgaria
Macedonia
Romania
Sveshtari