Culture and History

In the Middle Ages (especially in the 10th and 11th centuries), Bulgaria was the center of Slavic culture. Over the centuries Bulgarian culture has been influenced successively by Byzantine, Greek, Russian, and Western cultures. For thirteen centuries the Bulgarian has been creating literature, art and music. Bulgarian culture has given the world men of great achievements, unparalleled in history. History has allotted Bulgaria a difficult and dramatic face. Much has perished, but even more has remained - a rich spiritual world which will show you with the colours, rhythms and melodious songs of living Bulgarian folklore, the unfading beauty of Bulgarian arts and crafts, the gaiety and vivacity of Bulgarian festivals and customs, the piquant taste of Bulgarian cuisine and the delicate fragrance of Bulgarian wines. History Bulgarian people are one of the most ancient. The Bulgarian state was founded on the present-day territory of Europe in 681 and ever since that time the name of the country has always been the same. The Bulgarian lands are ancient crossroads.It remembers many ancient civilizations and great peoples which wrote the pages of its turbulent history: bronze and iron spears and arrows, ruins of palaces and cities, wise words carved on rocks and stone columns, written on parchment and leather. What follows are some of the most significant dates and events in the history of Bulgaria: 885 - Cyril and Methodius created the Slavonic script 864 - 866 - Bulgaria adopted Christianity 1018- 1185 - Bulgaria fell within the limits of the Byzantine Empire and Rule 1185 - Restoration of the Bulgarian state 1396 - 1878 - Bulgaria was under the Turkish Yoke 1878 - 1944 - Bulgaria was a constitutional monarchy 1944 - 1989 - Bulgaria was a people's republic, governed by the communist party Since 10 th of November, 1989 - Bulgaria has been a parliamentary republic. For several decades now, under UNESCO aegis, attempts have been made to preserve the planet's most valuable cultural and natural heritage.The UNESCO List of World Heritage now features over 300 landmarks. Nine Bulgarian wonders - seven cultural and two natural sites - are included among them: Rila Monastery,Nessebur, the Kazanluk Tomb, the Sveshtari Tomb, the Madara Horseman, Boyana Church, the Ivanovo Rock Monasteries, Pirin National Park and Sreburna Lake.