Begliktash

Begliktash, or Beglik Tash, is situated on Bulgaria's Black Sea coast, five kilometres from Primorsko and forty kilometres from Burgas, in the Strandzha foothills. It is a natural ensemble of syenite blocks of different sizes and shapes, formed in situ by spheroidal weathering of rocks of the Rosen pluton. It is also one of Bulgaria's largest prehistoric megalithic sanctuaries, near the Zigra River valley. The central area covers approximately eight decares.
Begliktash was affected by the Burgas stone quarries, causing severe destruction and mixing of cultural layers through rockfall and erosion. Development of the sanctuary as a cultural tourism site began in 2003. Access had previously been restricted because the land belonged to the Perla hunting residence used by Todor Zhivkov and the Directorate for Security and Protection.
The name Beglik Tash is Turkish, combining "beglik", a tax in kind paid to a feudal ruler in the Ottoman Empire, and "tash", meaning stone. Before the Liberation, Bulgarian shepherds from Strandzha villages paid their taxes in livestock, which was brought to the locality where the authorities "collected the tax" on the large stones.
Bulgarian archaeologists have known of Begliktash since the early years after the Liberation, but it was little known outside scholarly circles. Excavations in 2002–2004 under Tsonya Drazheva and Dimitar Nedev revealed various artefacts, including clay vessels, stone tools, flints and coins. The sanctuary stands at the summit of Cape Beglik Tash, a height with excellent sea views, sheltered by the Primorska Mountain range.
Archaeologists discovered deep cultural layers from the Middle and Late Bronze Ages, the Early and Late Iron Ages, and antiquity through the early fourth century AD. The site is unique for its rock forms, resulting from volcanic activity. Cut hollows, circles, solar symbols and other features can be seen throughout the sanctuary, representing the sacred place of the ancient Thracians.