Culture First_Bulgarian_Empire

1 culture

1.1 architecture

1.1.1 civil architecture
1.1.2 sacral architecture


1.2 art
1.3 ceramics

culture

the cultural heritage of first bulgarian empire defined in bulgarian historiography pliska-preslav culture, named after first 2 capitals, pliska , preslav, of surviving monuments concentrated. many monuments of period have been found around madara, shumen, novi pazar, village of han krum in north-eastern bulgaria, in territory of modern romania, romanian archaeologists called dridu culture . remains left first empire have been discovered in southern bessarabia, divided between ukraine , moldova, in modern republic of macedonia, albania , greece. treatise of 10th-century bulgarian cleric , writer cosmas priest describes wealthy, book-owning , monastery-building bulgarian elite, , preserved material evidence suggests prosperous , settled picture of bulgaria.

architecture
civil architecture

the first capital pliska resembled huge encampment spanning area of 23 km eastern , western sides measuring 7 km in length, northern – 3.9 km, , southern – 2.7 km. whole area encircled trench 3.5 m wide in foundation , 12 m wide in upper part , earthen escarpment similar proportions – 12 m wide in foundation , 3.5 m in upper past. inner town measured 740 m north , south, 788 m west, , 612 m east. protected stone walls 10 m high , 2.6 m thick, constructed large carved blocks. there 4 gates, each protected 2 pairs of quadrangular towers. corners protected cylindrical towers , there pentagonal towers between each corner , gate tower. inner town harboured khan s palace, temples, , nobility houses. palace complex included baths, pool , heating system. there several inns, numerous shops , workshops.

the ruins of pliska, first capital of bulgaria

the bulgarians constructed forts residences, called contemporary byzantine authors auls, or fortified palaces. example of type of construction aul of omurtag, mentioned in chatalar inscription, bears many similarities pliska, such presence of baths , usage of monumental construction techniques large carved limestone blocks. archaeologists have discovered damaged lion statue 1 m in height , matches description in inscription: in field of pliska staying [omurtag] made court/camp (aulis) @ [the river] ticha ... , skillfully erected bridge @ ticha camp [he put] 4 columns , above columns erected 2 lions. same method of construction employed in fortress on danubian island of păcuiul lui soare (in modern romania), gate similar in plan @ pliska, preslav , aul of omurtag. further north on southern slopes of carpathian mountains located fortress slon, important juncture connected salt mines of transylvania lands south of danube, , constructed in same manner.

the second capital preslav covered area of 5 km in shape of irregular pentagon , pliska divided inner , outer town. city experienced extensive construction programme under simeon intended rival constantinople. inner town contained 2 palaces, called archaeologists western palace , throne hall linked. few elements of decoration have survived –  marble plates , 2 monolith columns of green marble enclosed arch above throne. whole complex larger pliska palace , walled bath adjoining southern wall. ceremonial road covered stone plates linked northern gate , palace complex , formed spacious plaza in front of it. outer town housed estates, churches, monasteries, workshops , dwellings. adjoined outer side of southern gates of inner town there large trading edifice 18 rooms commerce on first floor , accommodation rooms on second. common plan of commercial, artesian , residential monastic edifices rectangular first floor being used production, , second one –  living. of buildings had marble or ceramic tile floors, , others had verandas on second floor. there 2 types of plumbing – made of masonry or of clay pipes brought water mountains city.

sacral architecture

after adoption of christianity in 864, intensive construction of churches , monasteries began throughout empire. many of them erected on old pagan temples. new sacral architecture altered appearance of cities , fortresses. construction sponsored state donations rich people, known ktitors. among first places of worship constructed after 864 great basilica of pliska. 1 of biggest structures of time, contemporary europe s longest church, rectangular shape reaching 99 m in length. basilica divided 2 equal parts – a spacious atrium , main building.

during reign of simeon i domed cruciform type of church building introduced , same dominate country s sacral architecture. preslav adorned tens of churches , @ least 8 monasteries. churches decorated ceramics, plastic elements , variety of decorative forms. leading example of city s ecclesiastic architecture splendid round church. domed rotunda two-tiered colonnade in interior , walled atrium niches , columns. style of church had been influenced armenian, byzantine , carolingian architecture. there number of cave monasteries, such murfatlar cave complex, excavations have revealed stone relief murals , inscriptions in 3 alphabets – glagolitic, cyrillic , greek, bulgar runes.

in region of kutmichevitsa south-west, clement of ohrid oversaw construction of monastery of saint panteleimon , 2 churches round , spherical form in late 9th century. in 900 monastery of saint naum established @ expense of pious bulgarian tsar michael-boris , son tsar simeon on shores of lake ohrid @ 30 km south of town major literary centre. other important buildings church of saint sophia in ohrid basilica of saint achillius on , island in lake prespa dimensions of 30 х 50 m, both modelled after great basilica of pliska. these churches had 3 naves , 3 apses. preserved edifices period provide evidence of rich , settled bulgarian culture @ time include 3 small churches dated late 9th or 10th centuries in kostur , church in village of german (both in modern greece).

art

the madara rider

the representative surviving art monument madara rider, large relief carving commissioned khan tervel following triumph in 705. relief of kind, having no parallel in europe. relief depicts composition of horseman, lion , dog @ 23 m above ground level in vertical 100 m high cliff of madara plateau. figures in motion. rider, facing right, thrusting spear lion lying @ horse s feet, , on left dog running after horseman. carving of horseman halo, garments, bird in front of horseman face, barely recognizable due erosion , bad condition of monument. madara rider included in unesco world heritage list in 1979.

the meaning , symbolism of depiction uncertain, actual masonry tradition , cultural source. origin of relief connected bulgar ethnogenesis – the semi-nomadic equestrian warrior culture eurasian steppe. madara rider bears resemblance persian sasanian rock relief tradition. hero-horseman common character of turko-altaic , alanic mythology. considered horseman represents or related bulgar deity tangra, while russian philologist vladimir toporov related iranian deity mithra. considered example of thracian horseman – a recurring motif of deity in form of horseman in paleo-balkanic mythology.

sculpture , stone carving well-developed supply demand public , sacral buildings. many details of marble carving have been excavated in preslav. decoration included animals such griffins, rabbits , birds, vegetative elements (most palmettes , grape leaves) , geometric motifs. there three-dimensional animal figures discovered in church no. 1 in preslav, including heads of lions , lionesses.

ceramics

the main sources bulgarian domestic use-oriented pottery necropoleis @ novi pazar, devnya, , varna. vessels made potter s wheel, unlike slavic practice. since 9th century two-story ovens used annealing of pottery. shape , decoration of bulgarian pottery similar found in northern caucasus, crimea, , shores of sea of azov. growing exchange byzantine empire following adoption of christianity led increase in shapes , decorations of bulgarian pottery unprecedented in slavic world.

one of famous features of pliska-preslav culture decoration of palaces , churches lacquered ceramic plates, may indicate near eastern (arabic) influence. produced of white clay, known kaolin. in 10th century ceramic workshops in , around preslav produced high quality ceramic tiles in so-called preslav style used in monumental construction projects , exported abroad. many of them marked cyrillic or glagolitic letters on rear side. archaeologists have discovered tile of style in kiev, showing bulgarian influences in russia. ceramic plates painted include geometric or vegetative elements , birds. had depictions of virgin, saints , apostles, both in full figures, portraits , medallions. due destruction of pliska , preslav, fragments , details of ceramic decoration have survived. among notable of well-preserved, 20-tile icon of st theodore, found in ruins of patleina monastery of saint panteleimon in outskirts of preslav site of 1 of workshops. extensive use of ceramic decoration in preslav , nearby churches , monasteries pre-dates widespread use in constantinople.