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Work Time 9:30 AM - 6 PM
Razgrad, 70 "Aprilsko vastanie" Blvd.
Work Time 9:30 AM - 6 PM
Razgrad, 70 "Aprilsko vastanie" Blvd.

Tourist Itinerary № 1

Reception and Information Center

The itinerary starts at the Reception and Information Center (№ 1 in the legend) and goes on to the eastern gate (№ 13) of Abritus Late Antiquity fortress.

Its location is unusual – right next to the angular northeastern tower (№ 12) – the only comfortable place for movement and communication with the interior of the fortress since the river passed at the foot of the eastern wall. Visitors can take the stairs constructed in the slope immediately to the south of the eastern gate which will lead them to the path that goes along the external face of the eastern fortress wall.

Beginning of the path, stairs on the eastern slope

As they move along the path to the south visitors will learn about the defensive system of the city. Some 180 m to the south along the eastern fortress wall, south of tower 13, visitors can read about the largest golden coin treasure from Late Antiquity found nearby.

Postern №1, to the south of tower № 13

The itinerary continues south along the external face of the eastern fortress wall to the southeastern angular tower of the fortress. The eastern fortress wall is 359 m long and 2.40 m thick, it is narrower than the rest because of its natural protection – a steep slope and a river at the foot.

Tower 16

At the angular fan-shaped tower №16 the itinerary turns west along the external face of the southern fortress wall.

The itinerary leads groups or individual visitors to the next important site – tower № 17 (№ 20 in the legend) of the southern fortress wall.

 

Tower 17 and postern №3

The tower was located at the highest place of the fortress. Its presumed original height of 15 m is displayed through the erection of a metal structure. Through postern No. 3 visitors enter the fortress. They can take metal stairs to the inside of the tower and reach an overlook point that provides a panoramic view to the inside of Abritus Late Antiquity fortress and almost the entire archeological reserve. The tower itself is visible even from the Ruse – Varna road.

Southern fortress wall – rectangular tower № 23

Then visitors exit postern No. 3 located immediately to the east of tower No. 17. As visitors move to the west along the external face of the southern fortress wall with U-shaped rectangular towers (№ 21 и 23), they will learn about the defensive system of the city and the construction of the defensive wall. The southern fortress wall was the thickest which proves that it was exposed to great danger and hostile attacks from the south. Here the distances between the towers (curtain walls) were the shortest – 19 m each.

Southwestern angular tower № 26

After tower № 22 visitors move along the southern fortress gate (№ 22) and continue to the west reaching the southwestern angular fan-shaped tower № 26 (№ 24), where they turn north and as they move along the external face of the western wall with two preserved towers – № 27 and № 28, visitors will enter the fortress through postern № 9.

Western fortress wall – Postern № 9

As visitors move to the east on the constructed path thay will reach the central path that connects the southern gate ( № 22) and the building with the peristyle yard (№ 16).

Building Х

The central path leads visitors to the interior of the Late Antiquity city and to the area with presented archeological sites. As visitors move along the path to the north they reach building X – a small bathroom (№ 19) that was later reconstructed into a single-nave basilica.

Early Christian cult complex of the 10th – 11th century

To the east of building X visitors can take a look at the shops and the magnificent building itself with colonnade of the 6th century (№ 16). Further east the path presents visitors with a view of a splendid Early Christian cult complex of the 10th – 11th century (№ 18 ).

Building with a peristyle yard of the 6th century and a large residential building VIII of the 4th – 5th century.

When visitors learn about the history of earlier structures and the cult complex itself, they return west, they take the street in southeastern direction along the building with the peristyle yard of the 6th century and can take a look at the large residential building VIII of the 4th – 5th century (№ 17).

Interactive museum

After the area with the archeological sites, visitors who have taken this itinerary can enter the Interactive Museum (№ 14) and dive into the atmosphere of the ancient city of Abritus. The twelve halls of the museum present visitors with the history of exploration of the Early and Late Antiquity city of Abritus, they will learn about the work of archeological teams, they will watch thematic movies about interesting events, significant discoveries and certain artifacts connected with life during the early and late ages of Abritus. Visitors will perform themselves a number of activities such as minting coins the way ancient people did it or play entertaining games and thus gain on their own knowledge of ancient Abritus and life of its inhabitants.

 

Game elements area

The full itinerary goes through the game elements area (№ 10) located to the west of the Interactive Museum.

Open-air lapidarium № 2

The itinerary goes by the northern gate of the fortress (№ 8 ) and leads visitors to the yard of an open-air lapidarium (№ 9 in the legend). This area displays various architectural details, devotional epigraphic stones and tombstones that give information of the ethnic origin of people who lived in the Early and Late Antiquity city of Abritus. The lapidarium contains artifacts that are telling proof of the presence of public buildings in late Abritus – frieze-architraves, cornices with Ionic dentil, Corinthian cornice with lavish decoration, cassette ceiling tiles, all made of limestone, etc.

Tower № 1

The itinerary exits the northern gate (№ 8) and as it continues to the west it passes by the monument of the founder of museum work in Razgrad – academician Ananie Yavashov (№ 3) – and reaches angular tower № 1 (№ 6). This tower is also presented in its presumed original height of 15 m by erecting a metal structure.

Monument of academician Ananie Yavashov

Taking the way back visitors reach one more lapidarium displaying epigraphic devotional monuments, tombstones and architectural details – silent witnesses of life and death of people who lived in Abritus in the ages. The lapidarium is located in the yard of Abritus Museum.

Lapidarium and entrance to the archeological exhibition

At the end of this alley, the visitor will see another lapidary presenting epigraphic dedication monuments, tombstones and architectural details, silent witnesses to the life and death of people who lived in Abritus over the centuries.

The tourist itinerary ends with a visit to the archeological exhibition arranged in the building of the museum which displays significant artifacts from the Stone Age to the Early Middle Ages found in Razgrad Region (№ 2 ). This itinerary includes all sites presented in Abritus Archeological Complex.