National Archaeological Institute with Museum

Overview

The National Archaeological Institute with Museum in Sofia is a Bulgarian research institute, part of the structure of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

It was established in 1948 after two organizations merged - the Archaeological Institute and the Archaeological Museum. The Archaeological Museum is the oldest in Bulgaria, officially existing since 1892. It is located in the building of the former Buyuk mosque. The institute was established in 1921 by decree of Tsar Boris III.

The main activity of the institute is related to archeological research on the territory of Bulgaria.

There are five exhibition halls: Central Hall, Prehistory, Middle Ages, Treasury and a special temporary exhibition. The museum numismatic collection is the richest one in the country, consisting of more than 300 thousand coins.

The Archaeological Museum is the largest in Bulgaria and thanks to its exhibitions, it is one of the most important centers in the country,  promoting our past. it is considered to be the largest archeological research institution in Southeast Europe.