'Madara Rider' - Most Probable Symbol of Bulgaria

News.bg, April 16, 2008

Madasrki Konnik (the Madara Horseman) is the most believable favourite for symbol of Bulgaria in the national campaign ‘the Bulgarian symbol'.
Every Bulgarian citizen will have the opportunity to vote to the end of the present week for his choice of symbol, which to embody Bulgaria's essence in the European Union.

Other eminent pretenders for the title ‘Symbol of Bulgaria' is the ancient tradition of the nestinars (Bulgarian fire-dancers) and the Cyrillic.

Bulgarian symbol has to be elected to the middle of May. The campaign starts with 4 million stubs and in the end will reach every nook of Bulgaria.

The symbol of Bulgaria will be depicted over the Bulgarian Euro coins. Stubs could be found in all post stations, shops and oil -stations or the vote could be made on the Internet.

The Madara Rider depicts a majestic horseman 23 m above ground level in an almost vertical 100-metre-high cliff. The monument is dated back to circa 710 AD and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979.
The horseman, facing right, is thrusting a spear into a lion lying at his horse's feet. An eagle is flying in front of the horseman and a dog is running after him. The scene symbolically depicts a military triumph.