Archaeological Museum – Silistra

The archaeological exhibition at the Silistra Museum of History is spread out on an area of 400 sq m in an impressive building from the beginning of the 20^th century.

The building is a massive two-storey structure built in the period 1923 – 1924.

The exhibition is thematically divided into periods: Prehistoric Age, Antiquity and Middle Ages. The main collection of Silistra archaeological exhibition comprises nearly 42 000 pieces, among which one will find a few remarkable items.

Central spot is given to the biggest ever Roman stone sundial discovered in Bulgaria.

Other exhibits include a Roman sports helmet-mask with gryphons depicted on it; treasure of  precious metal grave finds from Roman times and the Middle Ages; a chariot from the funeral of a distinguished Roman magistrate dating from the end of the 3^rd century, the only one found on the former territory of the Roman Empire; a statue of a Roman woman; a gold ring that belonged to one of the first Christians, dating from the end of the 3^rd century; collections of gold adornments dating back to the 3^rd – 4^th centuries and 13^th – 14^th centuries; a column with the name of Khan Omurtag (who reigned in the period 814 – 831) on it; seals of Bulgarian and Byzantine rulers and high-ranking aristocrats; the gold adornments of the princesses (despotitsa and despina) of Drastar dating back to the 14^th century; coin collections and treasures dating back from the 4^th century BC to the 15^th century AD.

Silistra Museum also contains one of the richest collections of medieval crosses in Bulgaria, exhibiting crosses made of different materials that reveal various cross-making techniques from the period 10^th – 13^th century.

The lesson in the history of the region continues when you go outside the exhibition halls: the garden around the building is arranged as a lapidarium with marble statues and stone slabs, ancient sarcophagi, columns and remains of other architectural elements.