1 November 2023, Kazanlak
Rose Valley Guest House 50.4lev [R504]

Thrace... "is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe. Bounded by the Balkan Mountains to the north, the Aegean Sea to the south, and the Black Sea to the east, it comprises present-day southeastern Bulgaria, northeastern Greece, and the European part of Turkey.
Indigenous Thracians were divided into numerous tribes. The Thracians recorded no collective name for themselves; terms such as Thrace and Thracians were assigned by the Greeks. Recently discovered funeral mounds in Bulgaria suggest that Thracian kings did rule regions of Thrace with distinct Thracian national identity."
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This morning we visited an exact replica of a Thracian tomb, the original being too unique and fragile to allow for visitors.
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Unesco: Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak
Discovered in 1944 [by soldiers digging trenches], this tomb dates from the Hellenistic period, around the end of the 4th century BC. It is located near Seutopolis, the capital city of the Thracian king Seutes III, and is part of a large Thracian necropolis. The tholos has a narrow corridor and a round burial chamber, both decorated with murals representing Thracian burial rituals and culture. These paintings are Bulgaria’s best-preserved artistic masterpieces from the Hellenistic period... This monument is the only one of its kind anywhere in the world.
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The Rose Valley of Kazanlak... is famous for its rose-growing industry... Roses have been cultivated here for centuries... Bulgaria produces close to half (1.7 tonnes) of the world's rose oil. The picking season lasts from May to June. During this period, the area gives off a pleasant scent and is covered with multi-coloured flowers. The gathering process, traditionally a woman's task, requires great dexterity and patience. The flowers are carefully cut one by one and laid in willow-baskets which are then sent to the distilleries...
Rose oil is rightly named the “liquid gold” of Bulgaria. It takes a multitude of petals, over 1,000, to produce just one gram of oil.