Kazanluk Tomb

Description:

• Kazanluk, center of the rose-growing plains that surround it, was until recently more strongly associated with the overrated Festival of Roses, which takes place here every June. But the past decade has seen an increasing number of Thracian vaults excavated from beneath the burial mounds scattered throughout the surrounding countryside, and the area is increasingly referred to as the Valley of the Kings. The first tomb discovered was in Kazanluk in 1944, when soldiers were digging out an air-raid bunker on what then were the outskirts of town. The Kazanluk Tomb is listed by UNESCO, but it was off limits to the general public before 2006. An exact replica was built in 1978 and this comprises the main museum, staffed and open daily. To view the original you need to call ahead to make arrangements. Be sure to do this if you can because standing in the small domed chamber (approached through a slim corridor-like antechamber -- very Temple of Doom) is an incredible experience. The ceiling frescoes, dating from the late 4th century B.C., are so close you almost can touch them. The seated man with his arm entwined around that of a pale woman presumed to be his wife is thought to be the nobleman who was buried here.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Very Highly Recommended 2010