333:, both words meaning "castle, fortress"), measures 405 m × 515 m (1,329 ft × 1,690 ft) and has an area of 0.2084 square kilometres (0.0805 sq mi). Several structures of the same age lay inside the fort; these included an inner fortification 92.5 m × 113.6 m (303 ft × 373 ft) in size and stone buildings of varying complexity, such as a three-roomed bath. The inner fort had its main entrance located in the eastern part. The buildings within the enclosure are thought to have served as a noble dwelling, i.e. a palace, though it is archaeologically uncertain whether they date to Omurtag's reign or to a later period. Balabanov theorizes that the fort accommodated a garrison commander and barracks.
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Archaeological research has established that the medieval site at Han Krum was inhabited for more than 150 years, from 822 until the late 10th century, when the fort was razed. This was not the permanent end of its habitation, as new buildings were constructed on top of the ruins. Excavations of
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The earliest ruins at the Palace of
Omurtag site include four churches, two of which built on top of each other; a bath; and fortified walls, all dating to Late Antiquity (roughly 250–650 CE). Three of the churches and the bath lie outside the medieval fortification, while one of the churches and the
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The main feature of the archaeological site is the early-9th-century
Bulgarian fortified rampart with Omurtag's palace within its limits. While much smaller than the fortifications of nearby Pliska, the fort at Han Krum resembles closely the defensive walls of the capital. The fortress, known to the
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Fragments of a lion sculpture that was originally 1 m (3.3 ft) in height have been discovered inside the fort, prompting researchers to identify it with one of the two lions mentioned in the
Chatalar Inscription. There are indications that a pagan sanctuary, where
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A small church unearthed in 1976 has been identified by excavation consultant Todor
Balabanov as being a personal church of a high-ranking Goth, possibly Ulfilas. The scarcely preserved layer of Christian
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was practiced, was also located at the site. Buried carcasses of rabbits and dogs, medieval vessels, and a plastered stone with rims and furrows allowing blood to flow to a pit all testify to that use.
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has been conclusively proven to be the site at Han Krum, which is much closer to where the epigraph was excavated. While it remains unclear whether the word
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traces of ancient walls have been excavated within its limits. Archaeologists and scholars link the ancient ruins to the settlement of Arian Gothic
349:. It has three naves and three apses. It has been conclusively dated to that period based on the surrounding pottery, as well as its architecture.
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the Palace of
Omurtag began in 1957, though they were never fully completed. Since 2000, the site has been extensively excavated by Bulgarian and
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A fifth church at Han Krum, discovered by archaeologist
Kremena Stoeva in 2009, is thought to date to the 10th century, the time after the
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259:, was unearthed in 1905 in the village of Han Krum (then known as Chatalar). The inscription's text indicates that
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as the ruling centre of the
Bulgarian Empire in the end of the 9th century. In modern times, however, Omurtag's
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135:). He was known to have moved to modern northern Bulgaria with his followers, and he translated the
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and zoomorphic motifs. In one of the graves, researchers found the remains of a woman with the
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regarded as an Arian episcopal see. The basilica, a nearly square building measuring 29.7 by 26
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In the 2000s, researchers unearthed several Gothic graves. Artifacts included medical kits, a
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in the church is thought to be the oldest in
Bulgaria. Next to this church was built a larger
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300:, a fortified ruling centre, the ruins at Han Krum suitably match the medieval description.
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378:Христова, Велиана (2009-08-29). "От епископ Вулфила до хан Омуртаг" (in Bulgarian). Дума.
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503:. Vol. 2, Byzantium, Pliska, and the Balkans. Walter de Gruyter. pp. 433–436.
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of 822. Earlier structures in the vicinity of the fortress have been identified as the
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147:. It is thought that the four Gothic churches were destroyed during successive
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The other Europe in the Middle Ages: Avars, Bulgars, Khazars, and Cumans
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building, with an apse in the northern part. Balabanov claims this is a
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72:. The site has been pinpointed as the location of a fort and palace of
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Post-Roman Towns, Trade and
Settlement in Europe and Byzantium
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with four columns topped by two lion sculptures near the
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Buildings and structures completed in the 9th century
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124:in the area, and specifically to the 4th-century
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275:, the city that would succeed Omurtag's capital
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271:. Earlier scholars linked that passage with
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1034:Buildings and structures in Shumen Province
218:typical for noble persons among the Goths,
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179:. On top of the basilica's ruins lay an
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20:Excavated ruins at the Palace of Omurtag
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1069:Tourist attractions in Shumen Province
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758:
521:
472:Curta, Florin; Roman Kovalev (2008).
171:× 85 ft), features three
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243:Excavated Bulgarian fortifications
113:Ruins of the Arian Gothic basilica
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406:"Готско сребро в аула на Омуртаг"
1059:Archaeological sites in Bulgaria
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404:Вагалинска, Ирина (March 2005).
86:in 815–831, as mentioned in the
1044:Medieval Bulgarian architecture
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556:Municipality of Veliki Preslav
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291:αύλή ("palace, court") or the
216:artificial cranial deformation
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1049:Germanic archaeological sites
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320:Plan of the Palace of Omurtag
287:should be interpreted as the
347:Christianization of Bulgaria
64:located near the village of
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1064:History of Shumen Province
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206:(brooches) decorated with
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499:Henning, Joachim (2007).
230:Bulgarian fort and palace
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691:Preslav Literary School
255:written on a column in
1074:First Bulgarian Empire
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235:History and excavation
189:Mausoleum of Theodoric
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84:First Bulgarian Empire
21:
844:Castra ad Montanesium
824:Belogradchik Fortress
741:43.18528°N 26.89833°E
319:
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187:and likens it to the
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52:site in northeastern
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408:(in Bulgarian). Тема
249:Chatalar inscription
105:Gothic episcopal see
88:Chatalar Inscription
1029:Castles in Bulgaria
1024:Palaces in Bulgaria
793:Castles in Bulgaria
737: /
459:Curta, pp. 195–196.
438:Curta, pp. 193–194.
145:Nicopolis ad Istrum
919:Matochina Fortress
829:Bozhenishki Urvich
746:43.18528; 26.89833
480:. BRILL. pp.
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245:
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1006:
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934:Palace of Omurtag
874:Kipilovo Fortress
720:
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675:Palace of Omurtag
510:978-3-11-018358-0
491:978-90-04-16389-8
263:Omurtag built an
175:and a two-winged
62:Early Middle Ages
26:Palace of Omurtag
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339:animal sacrifice
308:archaeologists.
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814:Asen's Fortress
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293:steppe nomadic
257:medieval Greek
251:, a Bulgarian
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58:Late Antiquity
50:archaeological
46:Aul na Omurtag
42:Аул на Омуртаг
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839:Castra Martis
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126:Gothic bishop
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95:episcopal see
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657:Round Church
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410:. Retrieved
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312:Architecture
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132:
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45:
34:) of Omurtag
31:
29:
25:
23:
744: /
269:Ticha River
1013:Categories
964:Trapezitsa
944:Perperikon
732:26°53′54″E
729:43°11′07″N
667:Gebe Klise
592:Imrenchevo
353:References
327:Hisar Kale
325:locals as
261:kanasybigi
220:Sarmatians
200:chain mail
79:kanasybigi
56:dating to
989:Vishegrad
969:Tsarevets
959:Storgosia
864:Hisarlaka
854:Devingrad
819:Baba Vida
650:Landmarks
622:Suha Reka
564:Capital:
212:gemstones
185:mausoleum
181:octagonal
167:(97
139:into the
121:foederati
82:) of the
76:, ruler (
38:Bulgarian
1054:Arianism
909:Lyutitsa
869:Kaliakra
834:Byalgrad
602:Milanovo
587:Han Krum
582:Dragoevo
575:Villages
412:11 March
253:epigraph
161:basilica
157:frescoes
101:bishop.
66:Han Krum
60:and the
54:Bulgaria
48:) is an
974:Tsepina
914:Markeli
849:Cherven
684:Culture
627:Troitsa
612:Mostich
607:Mokresh
597:Kochovo
466:Sources
331:Turkish
273:Preslav
224:Bulgars
204:fibulae
193:Ravenna
151:raids.
133:Wulfila
129:Ulfilas
74:Omurtag
979:Urvich
954:Sostra
939:Patmos
929:Monyak
899:Lardea
894:Ktenia
889:Krivus
884:Krasen
632:Zlatar
507:
488:
484:–196.
329:(from
306:German
277:Pliska
165:metres
149:Hunnic
99:Gothic
1039:Goths
984:Ustra
617:Osmar
289:Greek
173:naves
137:Bible
97:of a
92:Arian
30:Aul (
505:ISBN
486:ISBN
414:2010
285:aulē
281:aulē
265:aulē
247:The
222:and
208:gold
177:apse
32:Aulē
24:The
482:193
297:aul
191:in
143:in
68:in
28:or
1015::
443:^
422:^
396:^
384:^
360:^
226:.
210:,
195:.
169:ft
44:,
40::
778:e
771:t
764:v
541:e
534:t
527:v
513:.
494:.
416:.
131:(
36:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
