At the end of July, the first phase of the research, conservation and socialization of one of the last fortresses of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom, from the end of the XIV century - Kokalyanski Urvich, carried out by archaeologists from the National History Museum and the Section for Medieval Archeology of the National Archaeological Institute with museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
Kokalianski Urvich is fully accessible to Sofia residents and guests of the capital
At the end of July, the first phase of the research, conservation and socialization of one of the last fortresses of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom, from the end of the XIV century - Kokalyanski Urvich, carried out by archaeologists from the National History Museum and the Section for Medieval Archeology of the National Archaeological Institute with museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The project of the National History Museum "The Citadel of Kokalyanski Urvich" is realized with the financial support of the Directorate of Culture and is in sync with the horizontal priorities of the Metropolitan Municipality for 2022, namely, to be related to the discovery, preservation and socialization of immovable cultural heritage of the capital. It provided an opportunity to obtain new information about the historical development of the capital, as part of centuries-old Bulgarian culture.
My favorite place on the outskirts of Sofia", said the mayor of the capital Yordanka Fandakova during today's visit to Kokalyanski Urvich and noted that the Kokalyanski fortress is a priority project for the Sofia municipality. Along with one of the largest prehistoric settlements in Europe, "Slatina", located in the capital region of the same name, the Urvich fortress is extremely important for the development of the city of Sofia as a competitive municipality in the field of cultural tourism and education. In front of the team of the archaeological expedition of the "Citadel of Kokalyanski Urvich" project, with scientific supervisors Violina Kiryakova, NIM and Filip Petrunov, NAIM - BAS, Ms. Fandakova also shared that the Municipality of Sofia will continue to finance projects through the "Culture" Program. such as the "Project for the conservation of the archaeological structures of a late medieval monastery around the temple of "Saint Prophet Ilia", in the fortress of Kokalyanski Urvich, developed and proposed by NIM.
Urban archeology is leading the development of cultural tourism and the rediscovery of the capital, presenting events from our history recorded in the archaeological layers that must be preserved and shown to new generations. Through the realization of the "Citadel of Kokalyanski Urvich" project, in addition to revealing new scientific data about one of the most important cultural and historical sites within the city of Sofia, a more accessible environment in the vicinity of the capital and a favorite place for recreation of Sofia residents is ensured and their guests. On hot summer days, the Kokalyanski Urvich fortress offers an excellent opportunity for a cool walk in the Plana, Lozenska and Vitosha mountains, as well as by the cooling rapids of the Iskar River.
Thanks to the ongoing research and socialization of the Kokalyanski Urvich citadel within the archaeological season of 2022, the remains of a second Christian temple were discovered, the functioning of which dates back to the 1969th-XNUMXth centuries. In the ruins of the temple, along with the hundreds of wall painting fragments, many interesting finds were also discovered. Until this year, only one Christian temple was known, located in the lower part of the fortification. His research began in XNUMX by Prof. Dimitar Ovcharov.
The immediate proximity of the Kokalyanski Urvich fortress to the city and its access by public transport provides an exceptional opportunity for the organization of educational activities related to supporting the educational process of history in the capital's schools and higher education institutions. Pupils and students have the unique opportunity to touch in real time the revealed antiquities through the organization of outdoor lessons, the holding of green schools and innovative approaches in the educational process of the adolescent and young audience. The socialization of Kokalyanski urvich perfectly combines the possibilities of unlimited access to cultural heritage, nature and education.
At the moment, students from the New Bulgarian University, SU "St. Kliment Ohridski", University of Veliko Tarnovo "St. St. Cyril and Methodius" and Shumen University "Bishop Konstantin Preslavski". It is planned to hold a series of seminars on the topic "Medieval fortress construction - landscapes and architectural concepts", as well as specialized training for students in archaeology, history, restoration and conservation.
The second phase of research and activities at the "Citadel of Kokalyanski Urvich" site will continue in October 2022, according to a project of the National History Museum with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture.