| About Bulgaria |
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Cultural treasure trove stuffed to bursting with ancient monasteries, churches, mosques and Roman and Byzantine ruins, Bulgaria is located in the very heart of the Balkan Peninsula.
The first Bulgarian state was formed when the Bulgars, a Central Asian tribe, merged with the local Slavs in the late 7th Century. Afterwards Bulgaria struggled with the mighty Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the region and by the end of the 14th century it was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Bulgaria won back its independence in 1878, but after fighting on the wrong side in both world wars it then fell within the Soviet sphere of influence. Since its escape from the yoke of communism Bulgaria has struggled to join the modern world. It became a member of NATO in 2004 and is due to join the European Union in 2007. Today, like many of its neighbours, it is a country that retains a charming mixture of the old and the new. Despite the economic hardships Bulgaria has faced, its people are very friendly – and these economic pressures have also conspired to make Bulgaria amazingly cheap for Western European visitors. The Bulgarian people are one of the most ancient. Bulgaria’s reputation as the cradle of Slav culture can be attributed to its rich history, from the treasures of the Varna Chalcolithic Necropolis (4600-4200 B.C), described by experts as “the worlds oldest gold and Europe’s most ancient civilization”to the legends of Spartacus and of Orpheus, born in the Rhodopi mountains. An ancient art, for which Bulgaria became renowned, is that of religious icon painting – many outstanding pieces are on view in churches today, others form museum displays. Other traditional applied arts are still practised, among them fine embroidery and weaving richly coloured rugs. A number of ancient festivals have survived the centuries and still take place, among them the ‘Pinin Sings’ and ‘Rozhen Sings’ festivals, attracting an impressive 150,000 visitors. The range of the Bulgarian voice is unique enough to have been included in music sent up on the 1977 Voyager space mission! After many significant events in history, Bulgaria finally became a parliamentary republic on the 10th of November 1989.The Capital is Sofia. Almost completely rebuilt after the bombings of World War 11, its city centre has a weird and wonderful mix of architecture: right down to a yellow-brick boulevard. The 14th century church of At Petka Samardjiiska, with its beautiful frescoes, is one of Sofia’s most famous landmarks. Mount Vitosha, which hulks over the city’s southern suburbs, is a popular winter ski resort, while summer tourists admire it from the chairlift. 
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