Bulgaria is a small country in Europe that has been in existence for over 1300 years. This picturesque country is located in southeastern Europe, in the northeastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. It shares borders with Turkey and Greece to the south, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Romania to the north, and the Black Sea to the east. Bulgaria has a population of nearly eight million people. Its capital city is Sofia, which is located in the western region.

Bulgaria has seven cultural and two natural sites included in the UNESCO List of the World Natural and Cultural Heritage. They are: The Madara Horseman (the only rock relief from medieval times in Europe); the Kazanlak and Sveshtari Thracian Tombs (4th and 3rd Century BC); The Rila Monastery; The Boyana Church near Sofia; The Rock-hewn churches of Ivanovo (dug out of the limestone cliffs and inhabited until the 17th century); and the ancient city of Nessebar on the Black Sea Coast.UNESCO recognizes also Pirin National Park and Srebarna biosphere reserve for their incredible biodiversity.

10 must see historical sites
There is much to be seen in small Bulgaria. The sights listed below are the historical highlights in the country. They combine heritage from different periods and nature.

Ancient Bulgaria:
The Kazanlak Thracian Tomb
4th century BC, walls decorated with murals

The Sveshtari Thracian Tomb
3rd century BC, polychrome half-human, half-plant caryatids

Perperikon
Thracian sanctuary of Dionysus, unique scenery

The Ancient City of Nessebar
6th century fortification walls, 40 medieval churches

Plovdiv Old Town
2nd century Roman theatre, 17th and 19th centuries colorful buildings

Medieval Bulgaria:
The Rila Monastery
The biggest Bulgarian monastery, architecture and art

The Madara Horseman
8th century rock relief carved in a cliff

The Boyana Church
Sofia suburbs, exceptional murals from 1259

The Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo
12th century complex of churches, great nature

Veliko Tarnovo – Medieval Tsarevets Fortress
18th – 19th century Old Town

Bulgaria’s extensive history continues to fascinate scholars today. Bulgaria’s original inhabitants were from Central Asia, where they were leaders in philosophy, social structure, language, construction, and the art of warfare. Thrace was located, in part, on what is now modern Bulgaria. In the second century A.D., the Bulgars came to Europe from the Kingdom of Balhara, which is now northern Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush. They have provided a wealth of archeological sites throughout the country. It was these original Bulgarians who developed the cyclical solar calendar, which today is recognized as one of the most exact calendars ever created.

In 632 AD, Khan Kubrat politically united all the Bulgarian tribes of the Azov and the Caspian Sea, founding the first state of the Bulgarians in Europe, which was called "The Great Old Bulgaria" by the Byzantine.

In 681 AD, Khan Asparukh founded the First Bulgarian Kingdom in the territory of modern Bulgaria.

Following the Bulgarian Liberation period of 1878, urban development began to explode throughout the country. New, solid, European style buildings went up in new town and city centers. Customs and the Bulgarian lifestyle changed as a result; people met in cafes and clubs to discuss topical matters, without fear. The face of Bulgaria was changing rapidly in cities like Sofia, Varna, Bourgas, Plovdiv, and Rousse. Nevertheless, the early 1900s saw massive changes of another nature.

In the 20th century, Bulgaria sided with the Central Powers in World War I and and with the Axis Powers in World War II—but they never declared war on the Soviet Union and they refused to send troops to fight under the Nazis. They finally changed sides openly near the end of WWII, fighting the Germans all the way to Austria. Even though the Bulgarian government followed Germany’s lead in divesting Jews of their rights and property, they did not send them to concentration camps. Sent to rural areas instead, Bulgarian Jews were aided by the Bulgarian parliament, church, and people, and lived to immigrate to Israel after the war.

Bulgaria continued its legacy of change when King Simeon II, only six years old, rose to the throne in 1943.  Then, after the Soviets entered Bulgaria, communism ruled. Simeon was exiled. Todor Zhivkov was made the head of the Bulgarian Communist Party, and he ruled the country for 35 years—throughout most of the Cold War period.

Democratic change began in 1989, when Zhivkov was forced to resign. In 1990, for the first time since WWII, multi-party elections were held in Bulgaria, and the communist party changed its name to the Bulgarian Socialist Party. In 1991, the Union of Democratic Forces won, and the first presidential elections took place the following year.

Bulgarian history is truly inspirational. It teaches us the power of determination and persistence, and the definition of survival against the odds.