Saturday, July 13, 2013

Magura Cave - Bulgaria

This cave from Bulgaria is not an UNESCO WHS but was added to the tentative list in 1984. 
This is one of the largest and most beautiful caves in Bulgaria. It consists of the main gallery and three side branches. The overall length of the cave is approximately 2500 meters.

UNICART
The cave is located near the village of Rabisha, in the district of Vidin. The beginnings of the formation of the cave go back 15 million years ago on a hill which is 461 meters high. The cave has a number of accessible halls and galleries which were inhabited during the Bronze Age and which contain remnants of settlements and drawings on the walls. The remnants in the largest hall bear evidence to the existence of life from 3100 years to 900 years before our era - i.e. the early Iron Age. In one of the side galleries a large number of ritual drawings can be seen, which are among the masterpieces of late prehistoric art in Europe. In all probability, this gallery was a cult shrine of the cave prehistoric settlement. The Magoura Cave has been declared a monument of culture and a remarkable natural site. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/45/

No comments: