Roman Tomb Hisarya: A Late Roman Family Tomb in Bulgaria
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.4
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- Bulgaria
- Primary era
- Classical
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Classical
- Civilizations
- Roman
- Site type
- Burial
- Remains
- Tomb
On this page9 sections
History
Roman Tomb Hisarya is a Late Roman family tomb in Bulgaria, built by the Romans during the second half of the 4th century. It belonged to Necropolis No. 5, one of five cemeteries outside the fortified area of ancient Diocletianopolis, the Roman town associated with modern Hisarya. The tomb is regarded as the best-preserved Roman tomb discovered at Diocletianopolis and has one of the most notable surviving interiors among Roman tombs found in Bulgaria.
Discovery and use
The necropolis came to attention when local residents encountered it while irrigating fruit orchards. Archaeological investigations followed, and the tomb was discovered in 1957. Its position outside the town’s fortifications reflects the Roman practice of placing cemeteries near, but beyond, settled areas.
The tomb was used for two burials. During the first, the stone burial beds had not yet been installed. The deceased may have rested in a wooden sarcophagus on the mosaic floor, or may have been cremated and placed in an urn within one of the wall niches. For the second burial, stone beds were built along the sides of the chamber, with the bodies laid on brick grates over their upper surfaces.
Family and later protection
The tomb is thought to have belonged to the family of a prominent Roman aristocrat or military commander. A Roman aristocrat was a member of the social elite, while a military commander held authority over soldiers. After excavation and study, the structure was covered by a protective earthen mound. Its stone portal was designed by the architect Stefan Stamov.
Roman Tomb Hisarya is included in Bulgaria’s list of 100 national tourist sites, together with the Roman thermal baths and the Archaeological Museum of Hisarya.
Remains
Approach and entrance
The tomb lies in Slaveev Dol Park, about 300 metres southwest of the fortified area of ancient Diocletianopolis and near the Momina Salza mineral spring. Its burial chamber is approximately 7 metres below ground. A descending staircase corridor, 8.6 metres long and inclined at about 35 degrees, leads into the chamber.
The corridor begins as an uncovered staircase before becoming vaulted below ground level. Its covered section is structurally connected to the burial chamber. The steps were cut into the earth and coated with a thin layer of plaster. Rough stones form the corridor walls, which carry coloured frescoes with floral and geometric designs. At the lower end, a small vaulted drainage channel carried water from the chamber toward a nearby river.
Stone portal
Massive stone blocks frame the entrance to the burial chamber. Their outer faces were shaped into a concave frame, with grooves that held the doors in place.
Burial chamber
The chamber is a rectangular room aligned from north to south and covered by a barrel vault, a continuous curved ceiling formed by extending an arch along the room’s length. It measures approximately 4.2 metres long, 2.78 metres wide, and 2.35 metres high. Alternating courses of stone and brick form the walls, with each brick layer consisting of five rows. Cement mortar mixed with finely crushed brick served as the binding material.
Frescoes and ritual niches
Six symmetrically arranged niches occupy the four walls. They were intended to hold funerary urns. Frescoes covered the walls, including the interiors of the niches, to a height of about 1.5 metres. The surviving decoration is partly preserved and is dominated by plant motifs. A group of red roses in the northern niche forms its most distinctive image. Rose cultivation is associated with the ancient region of Thrace, which extended across parts of the modern Balkans.
Burial beds and mosaic floor
Stone burial beds stand along the northern and southern sides of the chamber, and their surfaces are also decorated with frescoes. The floor carries a multicoloured mosaic panel made of geometric motifs. It survives in very good condition and was created using opus vermiculatum, a fine technique in which small coloured stones are arranged in closely fitted rows to form detailed designs.
Roman Tomb Hisarya is described as the only Roman-period tomb discovered in Bulgaria with a floor mosaic. Small bone fragments and ceramic vessels were found inside. The tomb remains preserved in an authentic state.
