Beglik Tash

Beglik Tash sits on a wooded rise above the sea north of Primorsko, a group of very large rounded granite boulders that have been arranged, split and cut into a sanctuary in use from around the second millennium BC: there is a stone circle, a split rock forming a passage, a sundial-like arrangement, basins, and a rock throne, with a marked route running between them and interpretation panels. It was first described by the archaeologist Karel Škorpil at the end of the nineteenth century, then lay for decades inside a closed government zone, and excavation began only in 2002, which is why it is a recent addition to the Bulgarian archaeological map. The boulders themselves are natural and the working is a matter of arrangement and modification rather than construction, which is part of what makes it hard to read.

History

The rock sanctuary is prehistoric and was used again by the Thracians in the Iron Age, and its name probably comes from the beglik, the Ottoman tax on sheep, and from taşlar, a Turkish word for a place of large stones. At the end of the 19th century the Czech-Bulgarian archaeologist Karel Škorpil gave the first scholarly account of it, under the name Apostol Tash, and Bulgarian archaeologists began excavating in 2002 under Tsonia Drazheva (Wikipedia, Beglik Tash).

Highlights

• A stone circle of large boulders - the central arrangement of the sanctuary.
• The split rock passage - a cleft used as a way through.
• Cut basins and a rock throne - the worked features among the stones.
• A site long out of reach - in a closed zone for decades, excavated only from 2002.

When to go

April to October. One to two hours. Mornings are quieter; summer afternoons bring resort excursions. The walk between the stones is short and shaded by trees.

Good to know

Much of the interpretation is speculative and stated with more confidence than the evidence supports. It is small and an hour covers it. It is busy with coach parties from the resorts in summer. Facilities are minimal.

Nearby

Primorsko is south; the Ropotamo reserve lies north.

Key facts