National history museum

Overview

The National History Museum in Sofia is one of the largest museums on the Balkan Peninsula. It shelters over 700,000 heritage objects, presenting the history of today's Bulgarian lands from 8000 years until now. Only 10% of all these valuables objects are exhibited in the halls of the museum.

The museum was established in 1973. Its main exposition is located in five halls: Prehistory, Ancient Thrace, Middle Ages - First and Second Bulgarian Kingdom, the Bulgarian lands in the XV-XIX centuries, and the Third Bulgarian State (1878 - today).

The unique Thracian treasures are presented in a separate hall. The museum shelters the world-famous Panagyurishte, Rogozen, Summer treasure, as well as the treasure discovered near the village of Duvanlii. Here you can see  numerous grave gifts and ornaments, discovered during excavations throughout the country.

A special place is given to the Bulgarian monarchs - you can see stuff that belonged to the royal families.
In a separate hall are exhibited ancient coins - from the time of Tsar Ivan Asen II and Tsar Ivan Alexander, Byzantine coins and others.

It features a reconstructed Revival classroom. In the museum garden there is a rich collection of stone columns, monuments from different periods - Greek, Roman, Byzantine.