Madara Rider

Shumen, Bulgaria

The Madara Rider or Madara Horseman is a large early medieval rock relief carved on the Madara Plateau east of Shumen. The monument is dated to the very late 7th or more often the very early 8th century, during the reign of the Bulgar Khan Tervel. In 1979, the monument was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The relief sculpture depicts a majestic horseman, approximately 23 m above ground level, carved into an almost vertical 100 m-high cliff. The sculpture is almost life-size. The horseman, facing right, is thrusting a spear into a lion lying at his horse's feet, and on the left a dog is running after the horseman. The carving of the horseman's halo and garments, as well as the bird in front of the horseman's face, are barely recognizable due to centuries of erosion and the generally poor condition of the monument.

Three partially preserved texts in Medieval Greek, carved in the rock, can be found around the image of the rider. They bear important information regarding the history of Bulgaria in the period. The oldest inscription is the work of Tervel (701–718 AD), thus it is considered that the relief was created during his rule or immediately after the Bulgars settled the region in 680–681 AD. The other inscriptions refer to the Khans Krum (802–814 AD) and Omurtag (814–831 AD), who are most likely the ones who ordered the carvings.

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Address

Madara, Shumen, Bulgaria
See all sites in Shumen

Details

Founded: 8th century AD
Category: Statues in Bulgaria

Rating

4.8/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Daniel Zvincu (2 years ago)
This location close to Shumen offers multiple activities and spectacular views, especially from the location above the Madara Horseman, where it is located the Madara Fortress.
Robert Epure (2 years ago)
Nice historical place and walking/hiking area
VICTOR DRAGOTA (2 years ago)
The basorelieph is impressive. However, it worths to visit, too, the fortress (with the beautiful secret path) and the caves (with much history).
Kaloyan Dimitrov (2 years ago)
An ancient Bulgarian site that is worth visiting. Take the hike to the top of the hill for a beautiful view of the area.
Vera Gordon (2 years ago)
We stopped on our road trip at Madara Horseman and were pleasantly surprised by the park with the monument as well as other historic items/features. It is worth visiting and one would need a few hours to enjoy all the items of interest. To see the Madara Rider or Madara Horseman, an early medieval large rock relief carved on the Madara Plateau east of Shumen in northeastern Bulgaria, near the village of Madara, one needs to walk up about 300+ steps. The monument is dated in the late 7th or early 8th century AD during the reign of Bulgar Khan Tervel. In 1979 rightfully so it became enlisted on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The sites are dispersed throughout the park and require walking up and down the steps sometimes relatively long distances but absolutely worth it. It is also only such carving of its kind in the whole Europe. Highly recommend.
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