Madara Horseman Traditional Geocache
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(regular)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
Bulgaria, near the village Madara, 20 km from Shumen
The Madara Rider or Madara Horseman (Bulgarian: Madarski konnik) is an early medieval large rock relief carved on the Madara Plateau east of Shumen in northeastern Bulgaria, near the village of Madara.
The relief depicts a majestic horseman 23 m above ground level in an almost vertical 100-metre-high cliff. The horseman, facing right, is thrusting a spear into a lion lying at his horse's feet. An eagle is flying in front of the horseman and a dog is running after him. The scene symbolically depicts a military triumph.
The monument is dated back to circa 710 AD and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979. The dating means the monument was created during the rule of Bulgar Khan Tervel, and supports the thesis that it is a portrayal of the khan himself and a work of the Bulgars, a nomadic tribe of warriors which settled in northeastern Bulgaria at the end of the 7th century AD and after merging with the local Slavs gave origin to the modern Bulgarians. Other theories connect the relief with the ancient Thracians, claiming it portrays a Thracian god.
Just a few meters left of the Horseman there are some caves. The biggest called The Big Cave is very famous of the healing properties of the water leaking on its walls. There had been a Thracian sanctuary and a Christian chapel. I just want to warn you to be careful because there is risk of demolishing rocks.
Another thing you should see is on the top of the Madara Plateau. There are situated the ruins of an old fortress. The view is magnificent especially when the weather is fine you can see the Monument Founders of the Bulgarian State, where is my first cache ;)
So a little information about the cache: it is in a 2 liter plastic box which can hold a lot of stuff. To find it you will have to climb some stairs and take a short hike, after you leave your car on the parking. No need to climb rocks! Just be careful during summer with the crawling creatures, they like to stay under the hot sun on the rocks.
One note: There is an entrance fee for the Madara Horseman. I'm sure it is 1-2 Euro, not more. The thing is that there is no fence and if don't go straight up by the stairs no one will ask you for money. I usually take one pathway on the right side of the parking which leads to the caves. From there starts another pathway to the Horseman monument. I'm sure there are other ways to reach it. At last the fee is not so expencive so I suggest you - don't be stingy, and support the area!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ybbx sbe n ubyr 96z nobir gur cnexvat’f nygvghqr.