Beglik Tash is a prehistoric rock sanctuary situated on the southern Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, a few kilometers north of the city of Primorsko. It was re-used by the Thracian tribes in the Iron Age.

The Thracian sanctuary Beglik Tash is located in the highest part of cape Beglik Tash (128 meters above sea level), near Primorsko. It covers an area of 6 decares. It is located in a forest territory, which used to be part of the hunting residence of the former communist head of the state Todor Zhivkov (ruled 1954 – 1989). Therefore one of the greatest discoveries regarding the Thracian history on the southern Black Sea coast and Strandzha remained unknown to science until 2003.

The entrance for the sanctuary is from the southwest. A stone marriage bed can be reached by a cliff path. Two sacrificial stones surround the bed. Deep baths are dug into them, connected by outfalls for pouring of ritual liquids – wine, milk, olive oil, rainwater. A throne of stone stands next to them; deep outfalls and crossing lines are dug around it, which join and form a large rectangular “sharapana”. Three menhiris (large round stones) lie in the eastern part of the circle. At the top of the highest “menhiri” is carved a “divine step”, 0.6 meters long, 0.34 meters wide. The same “divine step” can be found in the opposite southern section at the foot of the rock terrace. The divine steps mark the innermost sacred place, only determined for the ones, who are initiated to participate in the mysteries.

So far, the central platform of the sanctuary is best researched. It is slightly raised above the surrounding terrain; cave elements, which used to serve in rituals, lie in a circle with a diameter of 56 meters at the platform. They have preserved their natural characteristics but were moved and shaped by humans with the typical sacred symbols and signs. Behind them stands an astronomical clock, made of 16 flat round stones. Near it is the “Labyrinth” – the path of the ordeal – and a huge dolmen, representing the “holy cave”, where the Mother Goddess gave birth to her son – the Sun God.

Pottery, stone tools and weapons, flints, coins, etc. were found during archaeological explorations. They show that the place was created in the middle of the 2nd millennium BC and was destroyed at the beginning of the 4th century AD. The lack of later constructions upon it has allowed the preservation of the unique sacred elements in their original form.

Nearby Primorsko, in the cool forests of Strandzha, on the ridge of „Maslen Nos“cape is hidden a Thracian sanctuary called Beglik Tash. The huge pieces of rock, formed by unknown masters, shape a giant composition of inaccessible area. Archeologists are certain that this is not a natural phenomenon.

Strandja as a setting from a magical fairy tale. The nature is picturesque, it is still green, I am especially impressed by the huge stones covered with moss. Its as if the entire Strandzha is a setting from a magical fairy tale! But the return to reality is not long in coming: we forgot to take repellent and are soon attacked by swarms of midges that follow us almost the whole way. Dont make our mistake and be prepared to walk about 2km no matter what the sign says. The pitch is suitable for prams, but there is a chemical toilet right at the entrance to the site. ATVs and lazy visitors with their cars pass by, followed by dust.

There is a ticket office at the entrance to the sanctuary, where they collect fees during the summer months and in September from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. There they hand us a leaflet with information about the objects of the sanctuary, which are numbered for the convenience of visitors. I used it for the explanations under the pictures. Theres an article circulating somewhere on the net about the place boasting a virtual reality app, but they didnt tell us about it when we bought our tickets. Everything else is in its authentic form, except for the small coins thrown on some of the objects, mostly on the so-called marriage bed.

Huge stone formations in bizarre shapes, preserved for centuries together with their unsolved history. The leaflet from the till is very helpful in making sense of some of the stone forms, but even without it the visitor is left amazed by the ancient shrine where rituals related to the Mother Goddess and the Sun God were performed. Indeed, there is a mystical and ancient energy that seems to permeate this area so rich in history, which is still not taken care of enough today.

A sundial, an ancient calendar and a temple – the Thracian sanctuary still hides its magic. Powerful energy flows and cosmic forces intersect here. It is believed that only a person with a pure and intact soul can pass through the path of trial – a labyrinth formed by rock corridors.

One can feel charged with positive energy, leaving behind the accumulated negative emotions, when reach the end and get out of it. It is also said that the Thracian singer Orpheus went through the labyrinth to save his beloved from the underworld.

This is what the sanctuary looks like from the entrance at the cash register, it extends over an area of over 6 acres. The information says: Entrance: oriented to the southwest, in its undisclosed part continues to the clear west. It defines the main east-west axis around which the main objects that make up the sanctuary are positioned.

The Marriage Bed - The central stone is shaped like a bed. A pillow is carved in the eastern part of the bed, which determines the orientation of the head towards the sunrise. On it the priestess and priestess ritually represented the sacred marriage between the Sun God and the Mother Goddess.

Throne: a piece of stone with a seat carved into it. From him the Thracian King Priest presided over the ceremony.

Sundial: It consisted of 16 slabs arranged around a rock shelter with an obelisk in the center. Today, seven of them still stand in their original places, leaning against each other at an angle. Probably an earthquake in the recent past caused the collapse of the first plate and the dragging of the others.