The Great Armory Tomb

The Great Armory Tomb

The temple dates from the 5th century BC. Its floor is made of specially arranged stone slabs. The round part in the middle is concave and symbolizes the sun. The three concentric belts, arranged around the main Thracian symbol of life, are related to the Thracian ideas about the construction of the universe – underground, earthly and heavenly world. The temple was looted in ancient times, but pieces of gold ornaments were found in the joints between the blocks.

The temple in the mound “Great Arsenalka” near the village of Sheinovo was opened on August 31, 1995. It was built of perfectly processed stone blocks. It has a stately facade facing south-east, with an entrance once closed by a double-winged stone door. Through it you enter a rectangular vestibule covered with a gable roof.

The bones found in the first room indicate that a horse was buried or sacrificed there. Through the second entrance, which also had a double-winged stone door, one enters the central room. It has a circular plan and a domed cover.

The floor in the second room is of particular interest because of the significance of the stacked stone slabs.
The concave central part described by the tablets represents the main Thracian symbol-deity – the Sun. It is also the center of the universe, whose construction is traced by the other three concentric circles described around it. In the ideas of the Thracians, the vertical structure of the universe is made up of three worlds – underground, terrestrial and heavenly world. Opposite the entrance is a ritual bed made of massive, well-hewn stone slabs. The pieces found in the joints are of a gilded breastplate with plastic decoration and two gold ornaments in the shape of bees.
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