The Thracian heritage - history, culture and language are an essential part of the European and world cultural-historical heritage.

Ancient Thrace has a special place in the classical history of the ancient Greeks and Romans as its integral part, since it is located on two continents - Europe and Asia.  With this geographical location, the Thracian culture developed in constant interaction with the cultural processes that took place in the tribes located in the area - from central Europe and Danube River to Asia Minor (Anatolia) and to ancient Greece. As a result of this interaction, its syncretic character is manifested, as strongly testified in the territories located near the foreign cultural centres, but also on the core of Thracian culture. Therefore, in order to present the cultural achievements of the Thracians and Ancient Thrace, their achievements must be presented not only in the heart of Thrace, which coincides with the territory of modern Bulgaria, but also within the framework of the neighbouring Balkan countries Greece, Turkey and Romania.

 

The development of the Bulgarian science of antiquity, and in particular the part on the ancient Thracians, i.e. of Thracology, whose beginning as a scientific discipline dates back to the 18th century, led to the necessity of founding a specialised institute under the name of Institute of Thracology. One of its main activities is the interdisciplinary study of Thracian antiquity and, in particular, of its history, culture and language in the broader context of paleo-Balkan studies, the ancient Balkan and western Asia Minor cultural-historical space, i.e. the lands inhabited by the Thracian tribes.

 

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Institute of Thracology in Bulgaria and the development of Thracology as an international science, Rodina Sydney and the Bulgarian community in Sydney are presenting to the public a poster exhibition dedicated to the science of the Thracians and Ancient Thrace.

The exhibition consists of two parts. Part 1 will present the Thracian civilization and the interdisciplinary of the Thracology with its links with numismatics, epigraphy, astronomy, ethnology, geology etc. provided by scholars Prof. Dr. Valeria Fol, Assoc. Prof. Dr, Ivo Topalilov (head of the Center of Thracology) and Assist. Prof. Dr. Ruja Popova from the Center of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Part 2 will present the science of Thracology in Turkey, Greece and Romania, provided by respective scholars such as Prof. Dr. Mustafa Sayar from Istanbul University, Dr. Marina Tasaklaki - Archaeologist-Numismatist from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports in Greece and Prof. Dr. Lucrețiu Mihăilescu-Bîrliba from Universitatea Alexandru Ioan Cuza, Iasi, Romania.

 

Parallel with the exhibition we invite you to enjoy a vibrant multicultural event to celebrate diversity and inclusion through music and dance.