ARCHAEOLOGISTS FOUND A CHRISTIAN BASILICA IN PALMATIS FORTRESS NEAR BULGARIA’S TERVEL

Bulgarian archaeological team led by professor Kazimir Popkonstantonov disovered a Christian basilica from the time of Emperor Justian the Great in Palmatis fortress near the Village of Onogur, municipality of Tervel, Northeastern Bulgaria.

The temple, which was probably a cathedral, has a respectable size - the building has a length of 55 meters and a width of 30 meters, prof. Popkonstantinov told journalists. According to him, for the first time in Bulgarian lands and even in the Balkan area, Christian archeology comes across a sintron of such a height - probably 2.70-3 meters. At this point in the altar area of the church, the bishop served liturgies, held episcopal meetings and gatherings.

The basilica has a very rich decoration, with exquisitely shaped capitals, probably made in workshops in Asia Minor, the professor said adding that in the coming days, the archaeologists expected to fully unearth the baptismal room in the temple.

Not only the temple, but the early Byzantine town near the present village Onogur has an impressive size. The area of the Palmatis fortress is 225 acres and is clearly not a road station, as previously thought, but is a large centre, the director of the Regional History Museum Kostadin Kostadinov said.

With the discovery of the first archaeological summer in Palmatis, we have the ambition not only to enrich the archaeological collections in Tervel, but also to turn the historical complex into a popular tourist site, said Diana Ilieva, a deputy mayor of the municipality of Tervel, which provides the financial support for the excavation work.