New light and sound system in the Thracian Dome Tomb in the coastal town of Pomorie

A new light and sound system attracts the attention to the Thracian Dome Tomb in the coastal town of Pomorie. The archaeological site dates back to the 2-3rd century during the Roman era in the Bulgarian lands. There is no similar lighting in any other tomb discovered in the country.

According to the first studies in the 19th century, the "Hollow Mound" was presented as a tomb and urns with the ashes of the deceased were placed in the niches.

"The new opinions of specialists are that it is in fact a cheroon - that is, a mausoleum. A cult complex in which commemorative ceremonies and rituals were periodically performed, and outside, in the vicinity of this monument, the burials themselves were carried out," said Anton Karabashev, director of the Pomorie History Museum.

Tomb or not, the monument is increasingly becoming one of the most visited historical attractions in Pomorie. A special committee, which includes BNT, is implementing new sound and light technology.

"Once the lighting was so meagre, I have even heard comments like “There is no lighting here'. Now, the lighting makes it possible to distinguish very quickly what is authentic and what is a replica," explained Georgi Sabev, a guide at the Ancient Dome Tomb "The Hollow Mound" - Pomorie.

Katya, a tourist from Belarus. I have visited many tombs in the world, but this is the first one I have seen with such a structure. It's like it's in the mountains, but it's not."

Because of the unique acoustics of the dome, combined with the new lighting, the monument now hosts numerous concerts.

Mariana Kartalova: "There's a lot of spirituality, a lot of humility here in this space right now."

Radek, a tourist from the Czech Republic: "It's my first time here at the tomb. There seems to be magic here in the evening."

The new lighting is just part of the ambitions for the development of the tomb.

"We want to develop the archaeology in the surrounding area, because after all, historians say that a lot of burials were made around here. This is extremely important to see the development of ancient Anchialos to present-day Pomorie," said Ivan Alexiev, Mayor of Pomorie.

Pomorie Municipality is currently in talks with the European Commission to implement a comprehensive project for the digitalization and modern presentation of Pomorie's ancient heritage.