Madara Rider

Near the city of Shumen, near the village of Madara, there is an interesting rock relief. It depicts a horseman piercing a lion lying at his feet with his spear, followed by a dog. In common knowledge, this relief is called the „Madara Rider“ and is usually considered a symbol of Bulgarian statehood throughout the centuries. Recently, there was even an idea in a nationwide survey for the Madara Rider to be declared a representative symbol of Bulgaria to the world. The relief dates back to the pagan period of the state and reflects the level of religious, mythological, and epic representations of ancient Bulgarians. Around the Madara Rider, there are inscriptions in Greek letters, which scholars relate to the time of Krum and Omurtag, the two most famous pagan rulers who carried out military and administrative activities to strengthen and consolidate the Bulgarian state on the Balkan Peninsula in the 9th century.