The 1st Fully Restored Roman Fortress Opened its Doors in Bulgaria
The first fully restored Roman fortress in Bulgaria in the village of Belchin near the mountain town of Samokov has opened its doors for visitors.
The ribbon was cut by Regional Development Minister, Desislava Terzieva. The Mayor of Sofia, Yordanka Fandakova, who in her youth has been a teacher in Belchin, also attended the ceremony. Culture Minister, Petar Stoyanovich, and the Mayors of Belchin and Samokov were present as well.
The construction of the fortress has started during the rule of Emperor Valentinian I in the 4th century AC. The location has been selected because it is strategic and allows monitoring of the entire valley and protection of its western side. The settlement itself is also related to the mineral springs, the deposits of magnetite sand and the strategic junction of two ancient roads.
Until recently, the fortress has never been used by the Bulgarian State. Several years ago, archaeological excavations revealed that it was huge and covered an area of over 14 decades.
The EU funded the restoration project with BGN 5.5 M. The Tsari Mali Grad Fortress Tsari Mali Grad was chosen as Bulgaria’s most significant archeological discovery in the new millennium in Standart’s Wonders of Bulgaria referendum finale.
The project included the rebuilding of the fortress walls, and the construction of a museum and a church. In one of the fortresses towers an elevator with BIOFIAL HYDRAULICS products was installed for the convenience of the visitors.
A specials thanks to “LEONLIFT Ltd” company and personally to Mr. Milen Hazday, one of our dozen customers in Bulgaria, who has successfully undertaken this specific project and provided us all the information.
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