The mound "Ostrusha"

        A  fascinating fresco adornment is saved in the religious tomb in the mound

“Ostrusha”, discovered on April 13 1993 near Shipka town. With its height of twenty meters it is among the most famous in the region. When discovered, ”Ostrusha” had been the most complicated and spacious temple known by that time. Getting through the south entrance you get in a central apportion chamber, which leads to three more entrances for the chambers aside and northward. There is a buried horse with complete silver equipment around it. One of the complements, an application for the horse’s forehead, is unique. From the plate, which takes shape of the number eight (8), comes out a tridimensional griphone’s head with a very sharpened beak. Two silver vessels were found in the room– a mug and a cup of type phial; a collar safety device of leather chain armor made of iron, silver and gold with very stylized vegetal and geometrical ornaments. Opposite the entrance there is a ritual bed with legs, shaped like lion’s paws. The bed gives the impression of a sarcophagus shape of the whole chamber.

       The framing of the tomb ceiling is unique, too – a combination of relief and pictorial ornamenting – portrait effigies , artistic figures and vegetal ornaments.

       An extremely rare and precious coin, with Konstantin the Great engraved on it, was discovered in the tomb..

       The religious tomb was built in the middle of IV B.C. and was used for its purposes  till the end of the fourth century A.D. The temple “Ostrusha” is still one of the most imposing and interesting monuments over our lands.