“Forgotten Deities”: Exhibition Presents More Than 6,000 Years of History of Religious Beliefs in Bulgarian Lands

More than 200 rare artefacts, 6,000 years of belief and a collection never before shown. The National Archaeological Museum is presenting the exhibition “The Forgotten Deities”, which traces the history of religious beliefs in the lands of present-day Bulgaria from the Neolithic period to Late Antiquity.

• “The Forgotten Deities”: An exhibition showcasing over 6,000 years of religious beliefs in the Bulgarian lands (PHOTOS)

Some of the artifacts have been restored specifically for the exhibition and are being displayed to the public for the first time:

Chief Assistant Professor Dr Kaloyan Pramatarov, curator of the exhibition: “Among the highlights of the exhibition, I could mention the anthropomorphic heads of the Great Mother Goddess from the Neolithic site in the Haludza area near the village of Kapitan Andreevo, Haskovo region, or the bronze figurine of Zeus discovered near the village of Priboy, Pernik region, dating back to the 1st century BC. From the Roman period, we have an exquisite statuette of the goddess of victory Nike, discovered in Karnobat, Burgas region – dating from the 2nd–3rd century, a beautiful dark bronze figurine with silver-plated eyes, and many others.”

213 of the most valuable artefacts depicting forgotten deities, cults and mythological figures from Bulgarian lands: six millennia of spiritual history brought together in one place

Assoc. Prof. Dr Hristo Popov, director of the National Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences: “The main message is care. Care for the cultural heritage that we possess in abundance and the way in which it should be preserved and displayed – the reference in the title ‘Forgotten Deities’ itself points to something that we once had, knew throughout our history, have partly forgotten, but which we must certainly return to again and again.”

The deities may have been forgotten and the empires may have disappeared, but the questions about the origins of the world and humanity remain the same:

Chief Assistant Professor Dr Kaloyan Pramatarov, curator of the exhibition: “We want to direct the visitor’s attention towards the ideas beyond the images and symbols that we see in the display cases. We want to make them reflect on what once existed – on the way people from previous eras explained the origins of the world, the forces that governed it and their influence on human destiny.”

Photos: National Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

The exhibition, which connects history with the present day, can be visited from Friday until 17 January.