FROM TRANSMARISKA TO TUTRAKAN

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HISTORICAL MUSEUM TUTRAKAN
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TUTRAKAN

• A town raises up the steep
• hill near the ancient river in the westernmost
  parts
• of Danube Dobrudzha.
• Its houses, ascending tier upon tier up the
  steep slope,
• are reflected in the quiet water of the Danube
  river.
• West of the town the river's majestic flood
  offers a mesmerising prospect at sunset, when the
  sun is slowly sinking beneath the still waters.
  One town, one river mutual destiny, drawn
  together for eternity, from their days of
  turbulent history and up to the present, our
  dynamic contemporaneity.

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TUTRAKAN
. Tutrakan is situated in the north-eastern part
of the Danube plane. The town is a municipal
center for 15 populated settlements, with a
total territory of 440 square kilometers and
population of 18 981 people.
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INFORMATION

• The History Museum (Tutrakan) is dedicated to
  research, exhibition-planning, social and
  cultural-restoration activities. One of the
  branches of the History Museum is the Ethnography
  Museum "Danubian Fishing and Boat-Building",
  which opened in 1974 and is unique in Europe.  
• The focus of research of the Museum's
  specialist is on the study of the history of
  Tutrakan and making it popular. The archives
  "First World War" and "The Epic of Tutrakan" of
  the Central Military Archive have been thoroughly
  researched, the names of all  who died in those
  campaigns have been collected.

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Historical museum lapidarian
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ARCHAEOLOGY

• The Historical museum of Tutrakan organizes
  archaeological investigations in the areas of
  Tutrakan and Glavinitsa municipalities. Over 150
  officially registered archaeological sites are
  situated in the bounds of the Tutrakan
  municipality. The most important sites from the
  prehistoric age are the mound settlement from the
  Late Halkolithic culture Karanovo VI -
  Kodjadermen - Gumelnitsa and the complex of
  settlements from the the Early, Middle and Late
  Bronze Ages, represented by the cultures Glina
  VI, Tei I, III and Coslodjeni. The Iron Age is
  presented in 12 settlements and one wide mounded
  necropolis near the village of Brenitsa. The
  foundation of the ancient town of Transmarisca is
  associated with the establishment of the Roman
  domination in the territories of the Lower
  Danube. In the I-st century Roman settlers
  founded the Transmarisca place - an important
  military station in the defense system of the
  Lower Danube boundaries. There are 20 villages,
  4 castles and 1 Roman villa from the Late Roman
  and Early Byzantine period in the area of the
  Tutrakan municipality. The main center of this
  area was Transmarisca, which accepted the status
  of "town" in this period. During the III-rd
  century emperor Diocletian visited the town and
  included it in his extensive building program. An
  evidence for this was found - an imperial
  inscription from 298-299 AD. At this time
  Transmarisca was one of the four biggest military
  and administrative centers in the bounds of
  province Lower Moesia. In the V-VI-th centuries
  the town was a center of bishopric. Transmarisca
  is one of the most thoroughly investigated Roman
  castles in Bulgaria situated under modern towns.
  Four turrets and a big part of the castle walls
  were discovered. The archaeological excavations
  prove that the Roman castle existed till the
  beginning of the VII-th century.

. Fragment of chapitel, ??-??? century.
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ARCHAEOLOGY

• The Bulgarian settlement Tutrakan was set up
  with the establishment of the Bulgarian state.
  The name of the new town comes from the
  prebulgarian military and administrative title
  "tamantarkan" and can be translated from
  Arabian-Turkic language as "Town of the tarkan,
  who defends." At that time in the bounds of the
  present municipality there were 15 settlements
  which were part of the most sophisticated
  defensive earthy fortification in the
  early-medieval Bulgaria. It included embankment
  with ditch and four earthy mounds.

Part of exposition of Historical museum
Clay lamp, 2th - 6th century A.D.
Gema with portrait of Atina Palada
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ARCHAEOLOGY

• From the end of VII-th till the beginning of
  IX-th century Tutrakan was the center of one of
  the military and administrative provinces of
  Bulgaria. At the time of the political crisis in
  the VIII-th century a representative of the local
  dynasty of Tarkans was elected for king of
  Bulgaria. His family crest, which displays an
  eagle over the river Danube in the form of a
  stamp, is kept in England. Here Tsar Simeon was
  besieged by the Magyar cavalry and the Byzantine
  fleet during the Bulgarian-Magyar-Byzantine wars
  in 894-895. As result of the sequent parleys the
  Bulgarian tsar achieved a great diplomatic
  victory. Later the town was object of
  devastating nomad attacks. In the XII-th century
  the Arabian geographer Idrisi described the
  castle as a prosperous economic centre. In the
  end of XIV-th century Tutrakan was in the bounds
  of the kingdom of Turnovo. It is mentioned under
  the name "Tutrakan" in written sources from the
  XV-th century, while other source materials prove
  the existence of the castle during the Turkish
  domination.
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The Goddess Hekata Marble votive tablet, the
??-??? century
Part of exposition of Historical museum
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Part of exposition of Historical
museum Archaeology
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• Late Roman castle Transmarisca. A part of the
  northern castle wall with two four-cornered
  turrets and another part of the southern castle
  wall with a four-cornered and a cornered
  fan-formed turret are discovered during the
  archaeological excavations. The fortification is
  founded in the end of the III-th century end
  exists till the beginning of the VII-th century.
  Settlement in the site "Gjaur Punar". It dates
  from the Late Halkolitic-culture "Gumelnitsa -
  Kodjadermen - Karanovo VI". Roman villa in the
  site "Gjaur Punar" - It is build in the II-th and
  exists till the III-th century. Complex of
  settlements from the Bronze Ages in the site
  "Gjaur Punar". Here are represented the following
  cultures - "Pit's culture", "Glina VI" /Early
  Bronze Ages/ "Tei I", "Tei II" /Middle Bronze
  Ages/ "Koslodjeni" /Late Bronze Ages/.
  Earth-mound along the Danube riverside. It begins
  3 km west-point away of Tutrakan and reaches the
  village of Brashlen. The ditch is situated at the
  north side. At the south side there are 4 earth
  fortifications. The earth-mound is 16 km long. It
  dates from the VIII-IX-th century and is one of
  the most sophisticated earth fortifications in
  Early Bulgaria. Late Roman castle "Mediolana"
  near the village of Nova Cherna. It covers about
  9000 sq.meters area. The castle has existed from
  the beginning of the IV-th century till the
  beginning of the VI-th century. Early Byzantine
  castle "Kinton" in the site "Mal Tepe". It covers
  5000 sq.meters area. This castle is built in the
  beginning of the VI-th and is perished at the end
  of the same century. Roman earth-camp near the
  village of Dolno Rjahovo in the site
  "Ljaskovets". Dimension - 4700 sq.meters. Date -
  II-III-th century. Late Roman castle
  "Nigrinianis" near the village of Dolno Rjahovo
  in the site "Bairaktar chair". It is built at the
  end of the III-th or beginning of the IV-th
  century. In the end of the IV-th century the
  castle is perished. Late Roman castle
  "Candidiana" in the site "Marata" near the
  village of Malak Preslavets. It is found during
  the end of the III-th and beginning of the IV-th
  century and existed till the end of VI-th and
  beginning of the VII-th century. From the last
  quarter of the III-th till first half of the
  IV-th century here is functioned "figlina" as a
  part of the IX-th Claudius legion. Thracian
  settlement and Early Bulgarian castle in the site
  "Iri Hisar" near the village of Podles
  /Glavinitsa district/. The castle dates from the
  IX - XI-th century. It's area is about 62 500
  sq.meters. Neolithic settlement near the village
  of Malak Preslavets. Here are represented the
  Early Neolithic cultures "Gradeshnitsa" and
  "Starchevo-Krish.

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The ancient fortress Transmariska 3rd century
A.D.
In the first century Roman settlers establish the
town of Transmariska an important post for the
defence of the lower Danube border. In the third
century emperor Diocletian visits the town and
includes it in a large-scale construction
program. Proof of this is the discovered
imperial inscription from 298-299. The castle is
one of the four largest military and
administrative centers at the border of Lower
Miziya, and in the fifth and sixth century
Transmariska hosts the episcopate.
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The ancient fortress Transmariska
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Inscription-Diocletian /284-305/
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The ancient fortress Transmariska
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The ancient fortress Transmariska
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ICON HALL

•   
• The icons date back to the middle of the 19th
  century, and belong to the so-called "Tryavna
  art-school". Zacharii Tsanyuv was an icon-painter
  from the Zacharievi family. The family patriarch
  of the painter family is Krystyu. His son
  Zacharii taught the art of icon painting to his
  three sons - Krystyu, Ivancho and Tsanyu, and
  gave the family its name.
• Zacharri Tsanyuv (1816-1866), a descendant from
  this family, was particularly productive, and his
  icons can be found not only the churches and
  monasteries in the vicinity of Tryavna but all
  over Dobrudja as well. His icons are very fine,
  with exquisitely drawn lines. The figures are
  calm, with clear-cut beautiful face features.

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Icon hall
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RENAISSANCE

• Since the beginning of the 18th century Russia
  had a very active internation politics in the
  region regarding the Ottoman Empire. The major
  part of the battles took place in Dobrudja. In
  1773 General Al. Suvorov occupies Tutrakan twice.
  The fortress was completely destroyed in the
  beginning of the 19th century during one of the
  Russo-Turkish wars. Tutrakan was included in the
  plans of the Bulgarian national liberation
  movement. In 1867 the squad of Panayot Hitov
  passed through the town, with Vassil Levski as
  the standard-bearer, and in 1876 the squad of
  Tanyo Stoyanov - Voivoda, which was part of the
  Epic of Aprilovo. Many volunteers from Tutrakan
  took part in the last Russo-Turkish war of
  1877/1878.

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MODERN HISTORY

• After the Liberation Tutrakan was famous for
  being the largest fishing centre along the Lower
  Danube. At the same time the town was the major
  producer of river vessels from Middle Europe to
  the delta.
• At the end of the 19th century - beginning of
  the 20th century Tutrakan was established as a
  major commercial, administrative and cultural
  centre. Russian and Austrian passenger ships
  frequented its port.  The river brought to the
  town European civilisation. The town was a
  regional centre comprising of 45 villages. At the
  beginning of the 20th century there were two book
  publishers that made popular books by Bulgarian
  and foreign world-wide known authors, and six
  schools, including a professional school. The
  town was blooming until 1913, when complying with
  the Bucharest agreement the end to the
  Interallies War was announced. Tutrakan was
  transferred to Roumanian power. Roumanian
  military regiments were stationed in the town.
  After Bulgaria joined in the First World War  it
  gained back the lost territories.

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Decorative wall paintings
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• After the Peace Treaty of Neuilly of November,
  27th 1919 South Dobrudja again became possession
  of the Roumanian Kingdom.
• On September 7th 1940 in Krayova a treaty was
  signed, which in itself was a precedent
  worldwide, according to which Dobrudja was
  peacefully reinstituted to Bulgaria. One of its
  clauses refers to the exchange of the two
  national groups, Bulgarians and Roumanians and
  4237 Roumanian colonists were made to leave, and
  were replaced by Bulgarians from Northern
  Dobrudja. This led to a number of economic
  difficulties but despite this fact the economic
  and cultural life in the town was revived.

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ETHNOGRAPHY

• The Tutrakan municipality is distinguished
• with his variegated ethnographical population.
• Old native habitants - so called "grebentsi"
• live in the villages of Staro Selo, Belitsa,
• Varnentsi and Pojarevo. Comparatively wide
• group formed the "balkandjii", who migrated
• here in the beginning of the 20-th century
• and spread their specific customs and habits
  among the native habitants.
• They live in the villages of Shumentsi and
  Varnentsi. According to the contract of Krayova
  and the agreement for population exchange between
  Bulgaria and Romania, in the 1940-1941 many
  Bulgarian immigrants settled in South Dobrudja.
  These are so called "preseltsi", who live in the
  villages of Nova Cherna, Shumentsi, Belitsa and
  Varnentsi. The native Turkish population is one
  of the main ethnical groups in the Tutrakan
  municipality which dominate in the villages of
  Tsar Samuil and Tarnovtsi. In Preslavtsi live so
  called "Kazalbashi". They are Moslems, but they
  follow the testaments of Ali - the brother-in-low
  of Mohamed.

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ETHNOGRAPHY

•   The most important holidays among the
  Christians in the Tutrakan district are
  "Gergyovden" and "Nikulden". St. George is
  respected as the patron of the herds and
  shepherds. As we know the first settlers in these
  regions are shepherds. The holiday begins on May
  6-th. People believe that on this day Good and
  Evil Forces come to the World and fight between
  themselves. If the Good Forces win this fight,
  the year becomes fertile. The other wide spread
  holiday is "Nikulden". It is related to fishing -
  an important livelihood in the region - and
  celebrates on December 6-th. During this day
  people eats only fishing foods. The Moslem
  population keeps different holidays. The most
  popular among them are "Ramazan Bayram" and
  "Kurban Bayram". "Ramazan Bayram" begins 10 days
  later than it was in the previous year. It
  continues three days in which people prays for
  forgiveness. "Kurban Bayram" is celebrated two
  month and ten days after "Ramazan Bayram".People
  are offering a domestic animal as a sacrifice at
  this holiday. The meat is given to the poor
  people. In the district of Tutrakan there are
  some cult sites. Two of them are respected from
  "kazalbashi" as "Softí baba tekke" and "Ali baba
  tekke". "Softí baba tekke"
• is situated in the bounds of Tutrakan.
• People respect him as a saint.

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ETHNOGRAPHY
They believe that he hears their prayers from all
over the world. It is interesting that there are
no restrictions on prayers' religion - they can
be Christians, Judean, Buddhist ... "Ali baba
tekke" is more popular. In the Bulgarian folk
exists a legend about curative possibilities of
Ali baba who had healed tzar Ivan Shishman's
daughter. To express his gratitude the tsar had
given him an area to build a monastery. It is
situated near the village of Varnentsi. Another
cult place is the site "Camping". People say that
here was a great religion center but in our days
this area is become a camping.
Part of exposition of Historical museum
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?XPOSITION THE BATTLE FOR TUTRAKAN

• One of the most famous battles of the
  Bulgarian army during the wars of national
  union was the battle for the Tutrakans
  fortress. The exhibition The battle for
  Tutrakan presents this expansive battle,
  beside the white Danube, which marked the
  beginning of the Bulgarian armys campaign to
  regain Dobruja.
• After the First and second Balkan and the
  following economic collapse, Bulgaria signed a
  peace accord on July 28, 1913. Southern Dobruja
  became part of Romania and the newly appointed
  Romanian government invested considerable
  resources into the consolidation of the new
  border. For two years they transformed Tutrakan
  into one of the most powerful strongholds on the
  new border as a result of its close proximity to
  Bucharest and the citys other strategic
  advantages for military activity within the
  territory of Bulgaria. The fortress had 15
  stations measuring 1-2 kilometers, placed one
  after the other on two parallel lines, using
  ground and concrete defenses, equipment, machine
  gun embankments, and three rows of wire.

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?XPOSITION THE BATTLE FOR TUTRAKAN

• On September 1, 1916, Bulgaria in order to
  protect the nations pride, declared war on
  Romania. Against the strong forces of Romania,
  Bulgaria assembled part of the 3rd Bulgarian
  army, the 4th Preslatsi infantry division, the
  1st Sofia division, Danubian Bulgarian-German
  force and sections under the general command of
  the head of the 4th Preslatsi division
  General-Mayor Panteley Kiselov which included
  55,000 people, 132 pieces of equipment, and 53
  machine guns.
• The battle began on the morning of September
  5th and in spite of a strong defense by Romania
  into the night, the front line fell. The next
  day, the Bulgarian army continued the onset. At
  330pm the Romanian garrison surrendered and at
  6pm, General Panteley Kiselov entered the newly
  liberated Tutrakan. The Bulgarian army took
  captive 450 officers, 28,000 soldiers, and all
  their armaments. The quick battle of Tutrakan was
  the beginning of the liberation march into
  Dobrodja. Within the memorial War tomb 1916
  
• eternal peace is found for 8,000 soldiers and
  officers from different nation of which 1764 are
  Bulgarians.

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?XPOSITION THE BATTLE FOR TUTRAKAN


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Memorial-the monument that unites two nations
Memorial Complex Military tomb - 1916
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Memorial Complex Military tomb - 1916

• The Complex is the only one of its kind in
  Bulgaria it is dedicated to the Bulgarian
  soldiers who lost their lives in the wars for
  national unification. Since the major battles
  were fought outside the contemporary Bulgarian
  borders, the Memorial is a sacral monument of
  national importance. About 8000 Bulgarian,
  Roumanian and German soldiers who died in the
  1916 Battle for the Tutrakan Fortress  were
  buried there.
• Immediately after the epic battle of Tutrakan,
  the
• commandment of 4Preslav Infantry Division takes
  the
• decision to bury all dead soldiers in Fort N 6 of
  the
• Roumanian fortification line of the fortress.
  During two
• weeks people from Tutrakan and neighbouring
  villages
• carried the corpses of the dead Bulgarian,
  Roumanian,
• German and Turkish soldiers to the burial ground
• in bull-carts. The soldiers from the now
  Bulgarian
• regiment of Tutrakan put wooden crosses with the
  
• names of the dead soldiers, while the unknown
  soldiers were
• buried in common graves.

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Memorial Complex Military tomb - 1916
On September 6th, 1917 the first anniversary of
the heroic epic was commemorated. On the same
day a foundation was established to erect a
monument to the liberators of the town who had
sacrificed their lives, and the collection of
donations began. The ensuing Roumanian occupation
slowed down the project.  In 1922 the Roumanians
built a monument - which has been preserved till
nowadays in the memorial complex - upon which it
is written in four languages "Those who could
die like heroes protecting their motherland, are
worthy to be honoured and cherished".  During the
years of occupation little care was taken of the
memorial.
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Memorial Complex Military tomb - 1916

• After South Dobrudja was reinstated to Bulgaria
  as a result of the Krayova Treaty of September
  7th, 1940, on October 28th 1940 the new
  authorities in Tutrakan and the Blagodetel
  Society of retired army officers restored the
  foundation called "September 6th", and launched a
  petition for the building of a mausoleum where
  the remains of the heroes would be hosted.  1942
  the wooden crosses were replaced with stone
  crosses, and the memorial was surrounded by a
  wooden fence. In this form the memorial was
  preserved until the beginning of the 80's. The
  initial restoration and reconstruction of the
  complex was done in 1983-1986.

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Memorial Complex Military tomb - 1916

• In 1986 the complete reconstruction and
  architectural redesign began. By 2002, according
  to a project ratified by the National Institute
  for the Monuments of Culture, the entrance, the
  park with a podium for official celebrations, the
  postaments for the guns were built, as well as
  the Alley of Glory where the names of the dead
  Bulgarian soldiers are listed. A chapel is
  planned to be built.
• Every year, during the first Sunday of
  September, thousands of people, relatives of the
  heroes and other patriots,  gather together to
  commemorate the memory of the heroes of the epic
  of Tutrakan.

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ETHNOGRAPHICAL MUSEUM DANUBIAN FISHING AND BOAT
BUILDING

•  
• The Ethnographical Museum Danubian fishing and
  boat building was founded in 1974 and is
  unique in the countries in the valley of the
  river Danube. It was founded in order to preserve
  the rich material and spiritual culture, the
  social structure and the way of life of the
  Bulgarians from the Danubian fishermens
  settlements. It is not by accident that the
  Museum is exactly in Tutrakan, because fishing
  was a basic mean of livelihood of the population
  in this region from the Antiquity till today.
  Fish, cod-liver oil, caviar were being exported
  from here to the interior of the country and to
  various European countries.

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ETHNOGRAPHICAL MUSEUM DANUBIAN FISHING AND BOAT
BUILDING

• The exposition is arranged in seven halls and
  two interiors, in a building a monument of the
  culture from the beginning of the 20-th century.
  Original fishing devices from the Antiquity and
  used in the contemporaneity tools and equipment
  are presented in a chronological sequence.
  Original fishing rods and hooks from bone and
  copper, harpoons, clay leads for fishing nets,
  iron orifices, different types of nets, made by
  Tutrakan fishermen from vegetal fibers sturgeon
  net, fishing net, perch pike net, small fry
  fish net, etc. are shown. Photographs and black
  and white drawings explain the way of fishing in
  the settlements along the Lower Danube. Except
  the shown fishing belongings, you can get an idea
  about the social organization of the fishermen,
  accountancy, the inner structure of their homes,
  their spiritual culture.

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Part of exposition of Ethnographical museum
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ETHNOGRAPHICAL MUSEUM DANUBIAN FISHING AND BOAT
BUILDING

• A place is devoted also to the boat making,
  which is developing in the region since the Roman
  period, when there was a vessel repair workshop
  in the antique fort. In the end of the 19-th
  century boats from Tutrakan were being exported
  to Romania, Serbia, Austria, etc.
• The exposition of the Museum is a part of the
  enormous ethnographical legacy of the population
  of Tutrakan region and the settlements along the
  river Danube. The dynamic processes in this
  region and the mixing of different cultures lead
  to the variety and richness of fishing devices,
  preserved in the Ethnographical museum

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COLLECTION OF MINERALS

• The Ethnography Museum "Danubian Fishing and
  Boat-Building" in Tutrakan hosts a collection of
  minerals from the National Museum "The Eart and
  the People". The exposition comprises 184 items,
  53 of which are donated to the History Museum in
  Tutrakan.
• The following thematic collections can be
  observed
• Precious and gem stonesEarth minerals Bulgarian
  mineralsAcademic collection "Mineral
  Resources"Minerals variety and resources of
  North-East BulgariaGiant crystals Precious stones
  and gems - these are the most attractive group of
  minerals, the so-called "aristocracy" of the
  mineral realm. In order to belong to this group,
  the mineral should comply with certain standards
  of beauty - clarity, purity, bright uniform
  colour, exquisite shine, light-play (opalescence,
  asterism) longevity - that is, to be hard enough
  and thermostable and chemically resistant, as
  well as to render itself to polishing and buffing
  well.

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COLLECTION OF MINERALS

• You can see some of the most valued and
• popular, ever since ancient times, precious
  stones
• and gems emerald, aquamarine, morganite,
  tourmaline
• (rubellite, verdelite, indigolite), amethyst,
  citrine, smoky quartz, garnet, amazonite, jade,
  rhodolite, agate.
• Minerals of the Earth - a systematic collection
  of minerals from all over the world in which all
  kinds of minerals are arranged according to
  classes in the chemical classification system -
  native elements, sulphides and sulphosoles,
  oxides and hydroxides, halogenides, borates,
  phosphates, arsenites, vanadates, wolframites,
  chromates, molibdates, sulphates, carbonates and
  silicates.
• Minerals of Bulgaria - the exposition comprises
  of minerals of high aesthetic value, that have
  been found in the Rhodope mountains, Rila,
  Vitosha and Sakar - gallenites, sphalerite,
  quartz, staurolite, fluorite, volastonite,
  actinolite, opal, marble onyx.
• Academic collection "Mineral Resources" - metal
  and non-metal mineral resources namely
• Metal - iron ores - magnetite and hematite
  copper ores - chalkopyrite lead ores - galenite
  chrome ores - chromite aluminium ores - bauxite
  Non-metal - quartz, calcite, feldspar, gypsum,
  fluorite, mica (muscovite), talcum,
  magnesite.Giant crystals - four prominet
  specimens from the collection of the National
  museum "The Earth and the People" are exhibited -
  quartz, orthoclase and mountain crystal with
  inclusions of tourmaline from Pedra Alta, Brazil
  and geoda of mountain crystal with inclusions of
  goethite from Marrakesh, Morocco.

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HISTORICAL MUSEUM-TUTRAKAN

• pl.Suvorov 1, 7600 Tutrakan,BULGARIA
• ???. 359 857 / 6-12-35, 6-13-45
• e-mail tutrakanmuseum_at_abv.bg
• www.tutrakanmuseum.org