National Archaeological Museum

Sofia, Bulgaria

The National Archaeological Museum, in the centre of Sofia, occupies the building of the largest and oldest former Ottoman mosque in the city, originally known as Koca Mahmut Paşa Camii. The construction started in 1451 under grand vizier Veli Mahmud Pasha but due to his death in 1474 the mosque has been completed in 1494. The museum was established as a separate entity in 1893 as the National Museum directed by Czech Václav Dobruský with its headquarters in the former mosque that previously housed the National Library between 1880 and 1893.

Collections

Prehistory Hall displays a collection of items dating from between 1,600,000 BC and 1,600 BC. The collection is chronologically displayed and includes various findings from caves around Bulgaria, tools of the earliest humans who inhabited its modern territory, drawings, simple pottery, ritual items and many others.

Treasury displays grave inventory and other treasures from the late Bronze Age to late Antiquity. Two of the most well-known Bulgarian treasures are located here: the Valchitran and Lukovit Treasures. Main Hall hosts a collection of diverse items ranging from ancient Thrace, Greece and Rome to the late Middle Ages.

The medieval Section includes a gallery of medieval books, woodwork, drawings, metal objects and other items characteristic of the era.

References:

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Address

Saborna 2, Sofia, Bulgaria
See all sites in Sofia

Details

Founded: 1892
Category: Museums in Bulgaria

More Information

naim.bg
en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Vasil Vasilev (40 days ago)
The museum is in an old mosque. Unfortunately the building is in bad condition, and the walls are painted in white, but you could see under the white some frescoes. It's sad that they didn't preserved and restaurated them. Although the exhibition is very rich and interesting, presenting artefacts from prehistoric til 19th century and it's worth to visit!
Christina Petrou (3 months ago)
Really nice museum and cheap entry. Many interesting exhibitions and even though the museum is small it’s very enjoyable. However i wouldn’t recommend it to people with younger children because most of the exhibitions are not protected by any type of glass and are easily accessible to little kids who might break them
Marin “SayanMk” Kolev (5 months ago)
Visited on the night of museums, which was great and very well organised. Also visited before that and it's quite calm and easy. There are artefacts from thousands of years, which is the most intriguing part for me - the old history, before religion tainted it. I recommend it, if you're interested in the Traki/Thrace history.
Travelling Doc (6 months ago)
Door closed at 10 am to the museum, only to find that museum was open but just had the door shut. It’s a small Museum of one large ground floor with a rare sparse display. Little or no English description in English on the ground floor and therefore best to start of 1st floor with English descriptions., also More Modern displays as ground floor displays looks like they came out of the 80-es. The first floor which ran through the civilisations of the past was good, with some amazing army helmets. There was an interactive screen in English but could not covert the screens in the other rooms to English. 12 lev entrance is not Worth the money. The staff look at their phones all the time and when asked if they can turn the interactive displays- usually one per room to English, shrug their shoulders. Poor experience and not worth the money.
Ömercan Gökkaya (7 months ago)
We were highly impressed with our visit to the National Archaeological Museum of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The museum houses an extensive and well-curated collection of artifacts spanning millennia of Bulgarian history. It was truly captivating to explore the diverse exhibits and gain a deeper understanding of the country's rich cultural heritage. We would recommend setting aside at least 1.5 hours to fully appreciate the museum's offerings. There's so much to see and learn, and you won't want to rush through the exhibits.
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