Madara Rider

The Madara Horseman is an early medieval monumental relief, which today is located on the Felsenplateu Madara not far from the former Bulgarian capital Pliska and near the village of Madara in north- eastern Bulgaria. The relief is part of the main place of worship of the First Bulgarian Empire and is situated on an approximately 100 meter high cliff. It shows a rider at a height of 23 meters above the ground. The tab is shown in combat with a lion at his feet. He is accompanied by a dog.

Near the reliefs report many khans from the 8th - 9th Century in long inscriptions on stone over their triumphs against Byzantium.

The image is generally attributed to the Proto-Bulgarians who settled in the 7th century in this area, other theories speak of a Thracian origin.

The monument is one of a world heritage site since 1979.

In a vote of the Bulgarian television in June 2008, the Madara Horseman sat against other national symbols through as a future character of the Bulgarian Euro coin. The introduction of the common currency, however, is new date still unclear.

Inscriptions

In the vicinity of the rider Madara various inscriptions have been found, the inscribed Ι (a, b, c and d ) were inscription II ( a and b) and III in inscription.

The inscription " I c " was found by Prof. Vesselin Beschevliev. In this inscription Khan Tervel describes his relations with the Byzantine emperors and their relatives ( uncle ) who are settled near Thessaloniki. It is the uncle of Tervel, Khan enveloping: