Starosel

The Chetinyova mound at Starosel, opened in 2000, is the largest Thracian religious complex found so far: a burial mound about twenty metres high and ninety across, enclosed by a drum of dressed stone with a stepped facade and a monumental staircase, and inside it a corridor leading to a round chamber ringed by ten half-columns carved from the stone, with a stone bed and traces of colour. It dates from the late fifth or early fourth century BC and is associated with a Thracian ruler of the Odrysian kingdom. Several other mounds in the same area have been excavated. The building technique and the use of columns show clear Greek influence adapted to a Thracian form.

What you actually see

• A stone drum around the mound - the dressed facade with its staircase.
• The round chamber with half-columns - ten carved columns inside the tomb.
• A stone bed and traces of colour - the surviving interior fittings.
• Other mounds nearby - the wider complex in the same valley.

When to go

April to October; winter opening is limited. Two hours. Access to the interior is controlled and groups are small, so there can be a wait at busy times.

Honest expectations

Interior access is limited and sometimes closed for conservation. The chamber is small and groups go in a few at a time. Interpretation is largely in Bulgarian. The village has few facilities. Photography inside may be restricted.

Nearby

Hisarya is east; Plovdiv lies south-east.