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Madara Rider, Shumen

4.6

#1 of 6 in Things to do in Shumen Province

The Madara Raider or Madara Horseman is an early medieval large rock relief carved on the Madara Plateau east of Shumen in northeastern Bulgaria, near the village of Madara. The monument is dated in the very late 7th, or more often very early 8th century, during the reign of Bulgar Khan Tervel. In 1979 became enlisted on the UNESCO World Heritage List.DescriptionThe relief depicts a majestic horseman 23m above ground level in an almost vertical 100m-high cliff. It is of almost natural size. The horseman, facing right, is thrusting a spear into a lion lying at his horse's feet, and on the left a dog is running after the horseman. The carving of the horseman halo, garments, as well the bird in front of the horseman face, are barely recognizable due to the erosion and bad condition of the monument. The relief is similar to the carbon images found in Saltovo, Soulek, Pliska and Veliki Preslav.Origin traditionThe meaning and symbolism of the depiction is uncertain, as well its actual masonry tradition and cultural source.In the scholarship the origin of the relief is connected with the Bulgars ethnogenesis – the semi-nomadic equestrian warrior culture from the Eurasian Steppe. Others saw in the relief resemblance to the Sasanian rock relief tradition. The hero-horseman is a common character of Turko-Altaic and Alanic mythology. It is sometime considered that the horseman represents or is related to the Bulgar deity Tangra, while Vladimir Toporov related it to the Iranian deity Mithra.

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Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

105 reviews

Google

4.8

JanGorny

August 16, 2017

Wpisana na listę unesco płaskorzeźba jest niewątpliwie ewenementem ,lecz szczerze powiedziawszy mnie bardziej urzekło to co otaczało tę rzeźbę szczególnie wspinaczka na szczyt skały ruiny twierdzy i w... more »

The unesco Emboss is undoubtedly unique, but honestly made me more was captivated by what surrounded this sculpture especially climbing to the top of the rock fortress ruins and views, I recommend

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Pier43

August 14, 2017

Questo monumento scolpito su pietra è assolutamente da vedere, solo questo meriterebbe una gita in Bulgaria. E' qualcosa di affascinante quest'uomo sul cavallo con ditro il suo fedele cane e otto un l... more »

This monument carved out of stone is a must see, this alone would merit a trip to Bulgaria. It's something fascinating about this man on horse with ditro his faithful dog and eight a lion. His to this you can visit the sanctuary of the rock came from Thrace. Finding interesting also because here there is a magnetic force, recognized, not indifferent.

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robioan06

July 28, 2017

A search the google aboout "what to see in central-east Bulgaria"...and I found this location. I pass with the family near it and I propose "let's see it". And was a very good idea. The nature, the en... more »

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Doron Sane

March 7, 2017

You should climb all the way to the top. Great views on a sunny clear day!

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Heiki Tomann

August 12, 2016

Horseman looks surprisingly small. I'd wanted him to be 10 times larger.

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Chavdar Iliev

August 20, 2016

Amezing art carved in the cliffs

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Plamen Nikolov

November 27, 2015

This is one of the Bulgarians' first king. He is carved into the rock more then 1000 years ago!

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John Boanerges

July 20, 2016

Nice place to visit.

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