Disir
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What may be the sole archaeological remains of Bulgaria’s medieval Jewish community are currently being uncovered in the country’s ancient capital of Tarnovgrad (today’s Veliko Tarnovo). At a November 11 press conference in Sofia, archaeologist Dr. Mirko Robov proposed that a large, two-roomed 13th century structure he is excavating is not a church as originally thought, but rather a synagogue.
The proposed Jewish house of worship was discovered on the outskirts of a medieval fortress complex located on the city’s Trapezitsa Hill. Although digging began there in 2014, so far only a quarter of the structure has been excavated, Robov told The Times of Israel this week in an email interview. It is a large building that was built during the 1240s and survived until the fall of Tarnovo during the Ottoman conquest in 1393 when the town was completely razed.
The northern Bulgarian city of Veliko Tarnovo is often referred to as the “City of the Tsars” in a nod to its historical place as a capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire. Located close to modern day Turkey, its position along the Yantra River is important both strategically and for trade routes. The old town is spread out on three hills, Tsarevets, Sveta Gora, and Trapezitsa, where the potential synagogue was found.
Odd 13th-century Bulgarian worship hall may be country’s sole medieval synagogue
That's pretty cool.
The proposed Jewish house of worship was discovered on the outskirts of a medieval fortress complex located on the city’s Trapezitsa Hill. Although digging began there in 2014, so far only a quarter of the structure has been excavated, Robov told The Times of Israel this week in an email interview. It is a large building that was built during the 1240s and survived until the fall of Tarnovo during the Ottoman conquest in 1393 when the town was completely razed.
The northern Bulgarian city of Veliko Tarnovo is often referred to as the “City of the Tsars” in a nod to its historical place as a capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire. Located close to modern day Turkey, its position along the Yantra River is important both strategically and for trade routes. The old town is spread out on three hills, Tsarevets, Sveta Gora, and Trapezitsa, where the potential synagogue was found.
Odd 13th-century Bulgarian worship hall may be country’s sole medieval synagogue
That's pretty cool.
