“Thracian mysteries” presents the life, culture and beliefs of the ancient tribes that once inhabited the Bulgarian lands of today

The festival is making a comeback with a diverse programme at sites emblematic for the country’s history

published on 8/23/24 11:33 AM

Author: Diana Tsankova

Photo: Thracian Mysteries festival

For the fourth time, the “Thracian mysteries” festival offers a journey back in time to thousands of years ago with reenactments in which viewers are able to come in contact with the rituals, way of life and beliefs of the ancient tribes that once inhabited the lands of what is today Bulgaria, but also, with the help of artistic tools, to get involved in them as well.

Starting with the European Night of Museums in Sofia, making a stopover at the historical settlement Aquae Calidae in Burgas where the Thracians turned a curative spring into a place of worship, and to the cave Magurata with its rock drawings from the Upper Paleolithic period, the festival opens a door to scenes and pictures from the time of the Thracian civilization.

“We try to offer an authentic experience at historical locations connected with our heritage, and on this basis we build an interactive space as sacred territory where viewers and participants can come in contact with this ancient culture which we have inherited,” says Plamen Ivanov, director of the festival.

“The mystery of the Getae” is the next event on the festival calendar which will be performed for the first time on 24 August against the background of the Thracian royal tomb in the village of Sveshtari not far from Isperih.

A week later, on 31 August 23, 2024, at the ancient dome tomb “Hollow mound” near Pomorie a new show will be presented entitled “Cabeirian mystery”. Visitors will be able to take part in a procession by the retinue of the Thracian god Dion (Dionysus) and his maenads*.

“These processions are in the tradition of the ancient Orphic mysteries, they are in fact theantecedentsof the icon-bearing processions in Christian tradition today,” Plamen Ivanov explains.

The highlight of the festival is on 29 September when, throughout the whole day, the Ancient Theatre and the Roman Stadium in Plovdiv will be the setting for a diverse programme. Digital artist Dilyana Angelova will present her exhibition “Thracian mysteries” – a supplemented collection of paintings with Orphic symbols. A cycle of interactive lectures will prepare the mind and the senses of the visitors for what is to come.

“After the lectures comes a procession urging the public to join us and proceed to Plovdiv’s Ancient Theatre where the festival polis will be,” says the festival’s director. With the help of workshops we shall introduce our guests to the life of our ancient ancestors – their lifestyle and their rituals. We shall eat Thracian ritual bread, wear Thracian clothing, drink Thracian wine out of Thracian pottery and live life as Thracians once did.”

And though they make use of artistic tools, the festival’s organizers take historical facts as the basis for the events they have organized, says Plamen Ivanov.

“We base our work on our multi-disciplinary research based on ancient documents, artifacts, clay tiles with signs on them, pottery, as well as the sacred festive calendar,” he goes on to say. “There are innumerable sources as long as someone gets down and collects and interprets them. And we see the thread running from an uninterrupted tradition in culture and the beliefs of our ancestors from the megalithic civilization, the Orphic heritage, the sacred rituals of the festive calendar right down to Christianity and the present day. That is what we have established but we interpret and update this tradition using the modern methods of culture and art so as to present it in a vibrant way to our contemporaries.”