"The Gate of Mother Goddess" Thracian megalith

Overview

A mystical megalith near the village of Buzovgrad, supposedly created by humans, has been hiding its secrets for 4,000 years. "The Gate of the Mother Goddess", as the stone formation is called, was created nearly two millennia before Christ, by the people who lived in the Bulgarian lands before the Thracians. 

There are various theories as to why the megalithic structure originated. Every summer on 21st June, the day of the summer solstice, the sun stretches its beams, when going down, through the Gate of Mother Goddess. And since, according to the Thracian beliefs, the sunset symbolizes the world of the dead, it is assumed that the megalith was a kind of gateway to the afterlife. Moreover, according to legend, the Thracians celebrated when someone died because they believed that this was the beginning of real life while living on this Earth was a punishment.

According to some researchers, priests used to perform religious rituals here in honour of the Mother Goddess whose son – the Sun granted them their life.  Or to observe the stars. Or as a place from which signals could be sent, if necessary, to the opposite peaks of Stara Planina. The megalith also revealed a view of the Odrysian capital Seuthopolis, which is now submerged under the waters of Koprinka Dam, and the few preserved artifacts from the city can be seen in the Historical Museum of Kazanlak.  According to others, the Megalith was used by the Thracians as an astronomical device used for setting the correct time twice a year.