site.btaForgotten Deities Exhibition Presents 213 Ancient Religious Artifacts in Sofia
A total of 213 rare artifacts tracing the development of religious beliefs in the Bulgarian lands from the beginning of the Neolithic period to Late Antiquity are on display in the exhibition The Forgotten Deities, which was unveiled at the National Archaeological Museum in Sofia on Thursday evening.
Visitors can explore the representations of forgotten deities, cults and mythological figures – from the Great Mother Goddess of prehistoric agricultural communities to Zeus, Dionysus, Mithras, the Thracian Horseman and other gods from Thracian, Greek and Roman religious traditions. The exhibition examines prehistoric fertility and nature-cycle cults, religious practices during the Bronze and Early Iron Ages, the interaction between Thracian and Hellenic religions, as well as the diversity of cults that spread across the Bulgarian lands during the Roman period.
At the opening ceremony, Culture Minister Evtim Miloshev said the exhibition demonstrates that truly significant things, no matter how long they remain hidden beneath the layers of time, are eventually discovered, interpreted and brought back to life. "They remind us of the past and of the values we must not forget," he said.
National Archaeological Institute Director Hristo Popov noted that among the 213 exhibits are artifacts that have rarely, if ever, been part of the museum's permanent exhibition. "Many of them are unfamiliar not only to the general public but even to specialists in the field, and some have never been published before," he added.
/VE/
Additional
news.modal.image.header
news.modal.image.text
news.modal.download.header
news.modal.download.text
news.modal.header
news.modal.text