Abritus, the Roman Walled City at Razgrad
Abritus was a large Roman walled city in the province of Moesia Inferior, and its remains now form an archaeological park on the edge of Razgrad in north-eastern Bulgaria. Towers, gates and sections of wall have been excavated and conserved, and a museum keeps the finds, among them a golden Pegasus and the biggest late-Roman gold hoard found in the country. It is a rewarding stop for anyone interested in Rome's Danube frontier.
Emperor Decius died near Abritus in 251, and ancient writers say his body was never found. Centuries later, 835 gold coins turned up just inside the city's walls.
The history of Abritus
Before the Romans arrived, a Thracian settlement stood on the banks of the Beli Lom, near the hill called Hisarlaka (Chisarlik) at the edge of today's Razgrad. At the end of the 1st century CE the Romans built a military camp here, and in the 2nd century the Cohors II Lucensium, attached to the Legio XI Claudia based at Durostorum, was stationed in it. A town grew up beside the camp and flourished from the 2nd to the 4th century, with straight streets, public buildings around a forum and clay-pipe aqueducts bringing fresh water. On the main east–west street archaeologists uncovered a large house of about 3,000 square metres, with 25 rooms and shops around a courtyard.
The place entered the history books in 251. In the summer of that year the Roman army under Emperor Decius was crushed by a Gothic coalition led by King Cniva in the Battle of Abritus. Decius and his son Herennius Etruscus were killed, and ancient writers say that their bodies were never found, swallowed by marshy ground. Recent research puts the battlefield about 15 km north-west of the city, near the village of Dryanovets, rather than at the town itself. It ranks among the worst defeats Rome ever suffered at the hands of Germanic peoples.
In the early fourth century, seemingly under Constantine the Great, the city was ringed with massive walls, towers and four gates, apparently as protection against the migrating peoples beyond the frontier. They were not enough. The city was destroyed in the Gothic Wars of 376–378, again by the Huns in 447 and by the Goths in the 480s, yet each time it was rebuilt. In the fifth and sixth centuries Abritus was one of the largest cities of the province and the seat of a bishop, and a bishop named Marcian is known from around 458. Two Christian churches have been found, a three-aisled one in the west and a single-nave basilica at the eastern end. Under Justinian the gates were narrowed for better security, but the Avars destroyed the city in the 580s.
A Bulgarian medieval settlement later occupied the ruins and lasted until about the 10th century. The first archaeological work here dates from the late 19th century, but the identity of the city was only proved in 1954, when an altar to Hercules bearing its name came to light. Regular excavations led by Teofil Ivanov began in 1953 and ran for more than twenty seasons. At one stage they had to pause because part of the walls lay beneath a pharmaceutical factory. In 2002 a lapidarium with 60 inscribed stones was opened near the museum.
Curious facts about Abritus
- A hoard of 835 gold coins weighing about 4 kg, dating from the 5th century, was found just inside the eastern wall. It is the largest late-Roman hoard of gold coins found in Bulgaria and was probably hidden during the Gothic invasion of 487.
- A golden Pegasus found at Abritus is among its best-known finds, and the winged horse also appears in the coat of arms of Razgrad.
- In 1921 winegrowers digging north of the Chisarlik hill found 26 bronze statues and reliefs of Greek and Roman gods from the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE.
- It was the first Roman fortification in Bulgaria to be almost completely excavated and conserved.
- Linguists derive the name Abritus from Latin and read it as meaning “steep”.
- An extinct zoological genus, Abrytasites, is named after the ancient city.
Tours near Abritus
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting Abritus: what to expect
- The archaeological park is an open-air site with excavated walls, towers and gates; two of the towers have been built up to their original height to show their size.
- Look for the southern gate, set back from the wall behind a moat, and the barracks beside the north gate where weapons were found.
- A museum keeps the finds, and the lapidarium displays inscribed stones; check the current opening hours before you go.
- The Ibrahim Pasha Mosque in Razgrad is about 2 km away, and the Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari lies about 30 km from the site.
- Abritus is one of the Hundred National Tourist Sites of Bulgaria, so it is well signposted as a destination.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Abritus is
Photos of Abritus
Questions
What is Abritus?
Abritus was a large Roman walled city and later an early Byzantine town in the province of Moesia Inferior. Its remains form an archaeological park at Razgrad in north-eastern Bulgaria.
Where is Abritus?
It lies on the edge of Razgrad, on the banks of the Beli Lom river in north-eastern Bulgaria, about 50 km south of the Danube.
Was the Battle of Abritus fought at the city?
The battle of 251, in which Emperor Decius and his son died, is named after Abritus, but recent research places the battlefield about 15 km north-west of the city, near Dryanovets.
What is the famous treasure of Abritus?
A hoard of 835 gold coins from the 5th century, weighing about 4 kg, was found just inside the eastern wall. It is the largest late-Roman gold hoard found in Bulgaria.
How old are the walls of Abritus?
The massive walls were built in the early fourth century, apparently under Constantine the Great, and were repaired and altered in later centuries, including under Justinian.
What else is worth seeing near Abritus?
The Ibrahim Pasha Mosque stands in Razgrad about 2 km away. The Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari is about 30 km away and Shumen Fortress about 40 km.
Also nearby
Ibrahim Pasha Mosque
Razgrad · Ottoman mosque with birdhouses in its walls
2.5 km away
Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari
Sveshtari · UNESCO tomb with unique carved caryatids
30 km away
Shumen Fortress
Shumen · three walls, twelve churches and a thousand years
40 km away
Tombul Mosque
Shumen · Bulgaria's largest mosque, with a 25 m dome
40 km away