The ruins of the fortress at Cape St. Atanasa description and photo - Bulgaria: Byala (Topic)

Fortress ruins at Cape St. Atanasa description and photo - Bulgaria: Byala. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photos and a map showing the nearest significant objects.

Photo and description

In the area of the modern resort town of Byala, on the Cape of St. Atanas, there are the ruins of a late antique fortress, where archaeological excavations are still going on. For the first time, researchers showed interest in this area at the end of the 19th century.

Scientists claim that an ancient settlement arose in this area in the 6th century BC, a little later a fortress was erected - a Hellenic colony, called Aspro, which means the White City. The fortress owes this name to the white color of the limestone rocks, which, moreover, have a bizarre, rugged shape. The ruins of the ancient fortress walls that surrounded and defended the settlement have survived to this day.

Fragments of ancient ship anchors were found here, which were made of wood and stone. Together with other exhibits found during the excavations, they are available for viewing in the exhibition center "White Rocks" ("Beliti Skali").

During the excavations, archaeologists from Varna discovered a unique artifact here - a gold ring, dating back to the 6th century BC It is decorated with a miniature replica of the rotunda located in Jerusalem. Such a ring is mentioned only once in the literature, it is believed that such jewelry was made only in the workshops of the emperor in Constantinople. Probably, the ring with the rotunda was presented by the Patriarch of Constantinople to the local bishop. The decoration was found in the ruins of a two-story house where the bishop supposedly lived.

The excavations at Cape St. Atanas are financially supported by the European Foundation and the government of Bulgaria. More than two and a half million euros have been allocated to work on the archaeological site, as well as to increase the attractiveness of this area for lovers of historical tourism. It is also planned to develop infrastructure and landscaping.

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Topic: The ruins of the fortress at Cape St. Atanasa description and photo - Bulgaria: Byala.