Madara Rider Historical Site

Address: Madara, Shumen Province, Bulgaria (Madara Plateau)

The Madara Rider is a large early medieval rock relief carved into a cliff near the village of Madara in northeastern Bulgaria and is listed as a protected archaeological monument. It is one of the most important examples of early Bulgarian state art and epigraphy from the 7th-9th centuries.

The principal feature is the horseman motif carved in high relief on a vertical limestone outcrop, accompanied by depictions of a dog and a bird and by an adjacent carved inscription in Medieval Greek. The monument is visually prominent against the cliff face and is viewed from a plateau and an established viewing path.

Visitors also see the surrounding archaeological reserve, which contains ruins of medieval fortifications and other remnants that illustrate the site’s strategic and ceremonial importance. Interpretation panels at the site explain the inscriptions and the relief’s association with early Bulgar rulers.

Scholars date the carving and associated inscriptions to the early medieval period, roughly the late 7th to early 9th centuries, and connect the monument with the early Bulgarian state and its rulers. Over time the site has been recorded by travelers and excavated; the inscriptions have been important for understanding early Bulgar history and titulature.

The relief is cut into a limestone cliff in Shumen Province near the village of Madara, set on a rocky plateau above the surrounding plain. The site is accessed by a track from the nearest road and is maintained as an archaeological reserve.

• Access note: The relief is carved directly into a cliff face and is best viewed from the designated viewing area on the plateau; access involves an uphill walk from the parking area.

What to See#

• Relief and inscription: The rock relief itself depicts a mounted horseman accompanied by a dog and a bird, carved into a high limestone cliff; an adjacent medieval Greek-language inscription records events and rulers associated with the monument.
• Archaeological complex: The wider archaeological reserve includes the remains of medieval fortifications, early Christian and later structures on the plateau above the relief.

From Shumen: drive about 15-20 km east on road 2/E87 towards the village of Madara. A short walk from the village leads to the plateau and the relief; limited parking is available in the village.

• Climb the gentle stony path from the village of Madara for different angles of the relief and better photographic light at noon.
• Bring a local guide if interested in epigraphic details - the 9th-century inscription includes rare references to the Bulgar khans and early statecraft.
• Combine the stop with a visit to the nearby village museum in Shumen for context about early medieval Bulgaria.