Roman Tomb, Silistra, Bulgaria

The Roman Tomb of Silistra, located in northeastern Bulgaria, is an exceptionally well-preserved burial tomb dating back to the mid-4th century AD. It represents a significant architectural monument from the Ancient Roman city of Durostorum. Notable for its extensive and high-quality interior frescoes, the tomb is considered a key monument in late antique art in Bulgaria and the Balkans.

The tomb, likely commissioned by a pagan owner, predates the influence of Christianity in Silistra. Its construction probably took place before Theodosius I's persecution of Roman paganism and the Gothic invasion of Durostorum in 376–378. Discovered in 1942 on the southern outskirts of Silistra, the tomb has been on UNESCO's Tentative List of World Heritage Sites since 1984.

The stone tomb, with a single burial chamber, features multi-colored mural paintings covering its interior. The frescoes depict a procession of servants on the northern, southern, and eastern walls, while the western wall portrays the master and his wife. The tomb's decoration includes a frieze with 11 panels illustrating slaves presenting gifts to the masters, along with hunting scenes, candlesticks, and various plants and animals. Despite the city's turbulent history, the Roman Tomb of Silistra stands as a unique example of art and life in the outer regions of the Roman Empire during the 4th century.

References:

Wikipedia

Address

7-mi septemvri 53, Silistra, Bulgaria

See all sites in Silistra

Details

Founded: c. 350 AD
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in Bulgaria

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
whc.unesco.org

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Durostorum (1,5 km)
Medjidi Tabia Fortress (1,4 km)

Palmatis Fortress (40,9 km)

User Reviews

Тодор Тодоров (10 months ago)
Let the citizens of the city of Silistra, be able to enter the Roman Tomb. Only guests from Japan cannot enter

Христофор Христов (5 years ago)
Unfortunately, the original drawings cannot be seen because they are in a special room where constant temperature and humidity are maintained, these are reproductions.

Marina Plamenova Georgieva (5 years ago)
Great ancient architecture

Stefan Nikolov (7 years ago)
Very well preserved with excellently preserved frescoes. I don't know if it is currently open. It can be understood in the historical museum on "Simeon the Great" street

Vesko Vasilev (8 years ago)
The museum said it is only open in the warmer months because of the installations, which maintain a conservation environment for the murals.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Harshil.Shah

Historic Site of the week

Caernarfon Castle

Caernarfon Castle in Gwynedd, Wales, is recognised around the world as one of the greatest buildings of the Middle Ages. It was a motte-and-bailey castle from the late 11th century until 1283 when King Edward I of England began to replace it with the current stone structure. The Edwardian town and castle acted as the administrative centre of north Wales, and as a result the defences were built on a grand scale. There was a deliberate link with Caernarfon's Roman past, and the Roman fort of Segontium is nearby.

While the castle was under construction, town walls were built around Caernarfon. The work cost between £20,000 and £25,000 from the start until the work ended in 1330. Although the castle appears mostly complete from the outside, the interior buildings no longer survive and many of the building plans were never finished. The town and castle were sacked in 1294 when Madog ap Llywelyn led a rebellion against the English. Caernarfon was recaptured the following year.

Roman Tomb