Beglik Tash, the Thracian Rock Sanctuary near Primorsko
Beglik Tash is a prehistoric rock sanctuary on the southern Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, a few kilometres north of the resort of Primorsko. Natural blocks of rock, partly shaped by human hands, form a Thracian cult place with a dolmen, menhirs, carved basins and a rock throne. It is often called Bulgaria’s Stonehenge and is one of the most atmospheric hidden gems of the Strandzha foothills.
For decades this ancient sanctuary lay hidden inside the hunting estate used by communist leader Todor Zhivkov, so it stayed unknown outside scholarly circles for almost a century.
The history of Beglik Tash
Beglik Tash is a natural rock ensemble of large syenite blocks, formed in place when the volcanic rock of the Rosen pluton weathered into rounded forms. Over centuries people turned this landscape into a sacred space. Archaeologists believe the Thracian tribe of the Skrimiani arranged some of the boulders to create a sanctuary dedicated to the Mother Goddess and her son, the Sun God. Finds suggest that the place was in use from around the middle of the second millennium BCE and was abandoned in the early fourth century CE, although the excavators note that its roots could be much older.
The name comes from Turkish. “Beglik” was a tax in kind paid to the local Ottoman lord, the bey, and “tash” means stone. Before Bulgaria’s liberation, shepherds from the nearby Strandzha villages are said to have paid their taxes in livestock, which was led to the big stones where the authorities collected it. A similar explanation links the word to a tax on sheep that was collected until 1913.
The first scientific description was made at the end of the nineteenth century by the Czech-Bulgarian scholar Karel Škorpil, who called the place Apostol Tash and described a heart-shaped block set upside down on the rock. In 1972–1973 an archaeological expedition led by Alexander Fol and Ivan Venedikov visited again and recorded round hollows and a nut-shaped block, 12 metres across, resting on other stones like the roof of a huge dolmen. For decades afterwards the site stayed closed, because the land lay inside the hunting residence “Perla” used by Todor Zhivkov. In the 1950s part of the area had also been used as a quarry, and some rocks were blown up.
Proper excavations began in 2002 under Tsonia Drazheva of the Burgas regional museum, together with Dimitar Nedev. Over about three years her team cleaned the site and put fallen megaliths back in their probable places. They found pottery, stone tools, flints and coins, as well as a building with clay-plastered walls, hearths and the remains of ritual vessels broken on purpose. The work stopped in 2005 for lack of funds, and only a small part of the site has been studied.
According to the excavators’ interpretation, the sanctuary was laid out along an east–west axis. They describe an entrance path, a stone shaped like a bed, carved basins, a throne-like seat, carved footprints and shallow channels for water. These readings are scientific hypotheses, not proven facts. Since 2003 the site has been developed for cultural tourism and, as an open-air museum, is reported to attract around 40,000 visitors a year.
Curious facts about Beglik Tash
- The site is sometimes called “Bulgaria’s Stonehenge”, though it is a natural rock formation that people adapted rather than a circle built from scratch.
- Every day at noon a ray of sunlight is said to enter the narrow entrance of the womb-shaped cave and strike its back wall, which Alexander Fol saw as a Thracian symbol of the sun fertilising the earth.
- A huge heart-shaped boulder known as Apostol Tash rests on only a few points, with a niche under it where one can lie; on 22 June the sun’s rays pass through it, which makes it a kind of calendar.
- According to local accounts, fire-dancing rituals of the nestinari were still performed on the meadow in front of the sanctuary until 1956.
- The site includes the remains of a labyrinth that visitors can walk through and a sun-clock formed from huge stones.
- The sanctuary was off-limits for years because it lay inside the hunting residence of communist leader Todor Zhivkov.
Tours near Beglik Tash
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting Beglik Tash: what to expect
- Beglik Tash is an open-air site with large rocks, steps and carved surfaces, so sturdy shoes are a good idea; check the current opening hours and visiting conditions before you go.
- Look for the dolmen, the carved basins and channels, the throne-like seat and the heart-shaped rock called Apostol Tash.
- The sanctuary lies close to the ruins of an ancient settlement thought to be Ranuli and to the Ropotamo nature reserve.
- The sea lies to the north and east of the site, and the Strandzha hills protect it to the west and south.
- Other places on this guide, such as Mesembria, the Church of Christ Pantocrator and Develtos, lie about 40 km away.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Beglik Tash is
Photos of Beglik Tash
Questions
What is Beglik Tash?
Beglik Tash is a prehistoric megalithic rock sanctuary on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria. It was later used by the Thracians and is thought to be linked to the cult of the Mother Goddess and the Sun God.
Where is Beglik Tash and how far is it from Primorsko?
It lies a few kilometres north of the town of Primorsko, on the Maslen Nos ridge in the Strandzha foothills, around 40 km from Burgas.
How old is Beglik Tash?
Finds point to use from about the middle of the second millennium BCE until the early fourth century CE. The excavators think the cult site may be even older.
Where does the name Beglik Tash come from?
It is Turkish: “beglik” refers to a tax paid to the Ottoman bey and “tash” means stone. Shepherds are said to have delivered their livestock tax at the big stones.
Why was Beglik Tash unknown for so long?
The area lay inside the hunting residence used by Todor Zhivkov, so access was impossible in the 1970s and 1980s. Excavations began only in 2002.
What else is worth seeing near Beglik Tash?
The ancient town of Mesembria, the Church of Christ Pantocrator and Develtos lie about 40 km away, and the Ropotamo reserve is close to the site.
Also nearby
Mesembria
Nessebar · Thracian town, Greek colony and Roman port
39 km away
Church of Christ Pantocrator
Nesebar · medieval church with lavish patterned walls
39 km away
Develtos
Debelt, Burgas · Roman colony turned Byzantine-Bulgarian border
41 km away
Markeli
Karnobat · border stronghold of two medieval empires
80 km away