BACHKOVO MONASTERYBACHKOVO MONASTERY RANKS SECOND ONLY TO RILAMONASTERY BOTH WITH REGARD TO SIZE, ANDARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE. IT IS SITUATED 30 KM.FROM PLOVDIV IN BACHKOVO VILLAGE. ACCORDING TOTHE HISTORIANS IT WAS FOUNDED DURING BYZANTINESLAVERY IN 1083. ITS FOUNDERS ARE TWO GEORGIANBROTHERS GRIGORII AND APASII BAKURIANI. IN HISFIEFS, GRIGORII BUILT A MONASTERY, DEVOTED TO THEWOMAN MOTHER AND CALLED IT PETRICHKI. THEMONASTERY HAD A RAPID HISTORY. IT WAS ATTACKEDAND ROBBED MORE THAN ONCE. ITS BLOOM WAS DURINGTHE 13TH CENTURY, MORE PRECISELY DURING THE REIGNOF TZAR IVAN ALEXANDER / THE SECOND CHURCH DONOROF THE MONASTERY / . AN IMPORTANT PERIOD FOR THEMONASTERY WAS THE 14TH CENTURY. REGARDING THEARCHITECTURE, THE MONASTERY PRESENTS AS JOINEDRECTANGULAR BUILDINGS THAT FORM AN ENORMOUS INNERYARD, IN WHICH ARE LOCATED THE CHURCHES ST.TRINITY, ST. ARCHANGELS AND ST. NIKOLA. THE OLDERCHURCH , ST. ARCHANGELS, IS A BASILICA, UNI DOMEDBUILDING WITH OVERARCHES.......................25KMTHRACIAN TOMB STAROSELIN THE YEAR 2000, NEAR THE TOWN OF PLOVDIV, INTHE VILLAGE OF STAROSEL, ARCHEOLOGISTS FOUND ATOMB THAT BECAME REAL SENSATION BECAUSE IT IS THEMOST GRANDIOSE THRACIAN ARCHITECTURAL MONUMENTUNTIL NOW. THE TOMB IS TURNED TOWARDS THETHRACIAN LOWLAND, AT THE FOOT OF SREDNA GORAMOUNTAIN. IT HAS AN EXQUISITE FACADE, WHICH SHOWSTHAT IT WAS BUILT AS IMPORTANT ARCHITECTURALMONUMENT. IT IS SUPPOSED THAT A THRACIAN RULERFROM 5 4TH CENTURY BEFORE CHRIST IS BURIED THERE.IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THIS IS SITALK WHO WAS THEMOST POWERFUL RULER OF THE ODRINS KINGDOM. THEENTRANCE OF THE TOMB IS 1.60 METERS WIDE AND ISFORTIFIED WITH BEAUTIFUL LIMESTONE COLUMNS. THEINNER HALL IS NOT YET OPEN, BUT ARCHEOLOGISTSSUPPOSE THAT THERE WILL BE MANY PRECIOUS ITMESTHERE. BUT IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE TOMB HAD BEENROBBED BACK IN ANTIQUITY. THERE ARE ALSOSTATEMENTS THAT THIS MOUND IS JUST A PART OF ACULT COMPLEX. THAT THE ENTRANCE LOOKS TOWARDS THEWHOLE OF THR