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Culture of Bulgaria


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Traditional Bulgarian culture contains mainly Thracian, Slavic and Bulgar heritage, along with Greek, Roman, Ottoman, Persian and Celtic influences. Traces of Gothic culture also appeared in Antiquity. Evidence for this is the Wulfila Bibleā€”the first book written in a Germanic language, created in Nicopolis ad Istrum in the 4th century.

A vast amount of uncovered archaeological sites are spread throughout the country; local archaeologists claim that the size of the archaeological heritage is the third-largest in Europe after Italy and Greece. In 1972 the oldest golden treasure in the world was discovered in a necropolis near Varna, consisting of coins, weapons and jewellery dating to 4,600 BC. The site revealed evidence of the first European civilisation. Other objects testifying for the early development of advanced culture on Bulgaria's lands are Plovdiv, one of the oldest cities in the world, and the first Christian monastery in Europe, established in 344 AD. Nine historical and natural objects have been inscribed in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Madara Rider, the Thracian tombs in Sveshtari and Kazanlak, the Boyana Church, the Rila Monastery, the Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo, Pirin National Park, Sreburna Nature Reserve and the ancient city of Nesebar. Nestinarstvo, a ritual fire-dance of Thracian origin, is included in the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Fire is an essential element of Bulgarian folklore, used to banish evil spirits and diseases. Bulgarian folklore personifies illnesses as witches and has a wide range of creatures, including lamya, samodiva (veela) and karakondzhul. Some of the customs and rituals against these spirits have survived and are still practiced, most notably the kukeri and survakari. Martenitsa is also widely celebrated.

Both the First and the Second Bulgarian empires functioned as the centre of Slavic culture during much of the Middle Ages, exerting considerable cultural influence over
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