US Ambassador Cuts Ribbon for Bulgaria Thracian Tomb Project

The Charg? d’Affaires for the US Embassy in Sofia, Ambassador John Ordway (r) visited Friday the city of Kazanlak to take part in the official inauguration of the Thracian tomb in the village of Kran. Photo by BGNES

The Chargé d’Affaires for the US Embassy in Sofia, Ambassador John Ordway, took part in the ribbon cutting ceremony for the restored 4th century B.C. Thracian tomb in the village of Kran.

Ordway was joined Friday by the Deputy Minister of Culture, Todor Chobanov, the Iskra Historical Museum Director, Kosyo Zarev, and the Mayor of the city of Kazanluk, Stefan Damianov.

The tomb was discovered in 1995 and is the earliest tomb with "colored belts" painted inside. The restoration was part of a program called the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Heritage Project. The project was selected among several others competing for the funds.

The US Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation was established by the State Department in 2001 and provides small grants for heritage preservation projects as a sing of the US respect for other cultures. To date the fund has supported more than 500 projects worldwide, totaling USD 11,5 M. In 2008, 94 projects were proposed and 72 were accepted, including the Bulgarian Thracian tomb project. The Fund provided over USD 33,000 in support for the project.

The conservation team, working on Kran II, contacted the US Embassy in Sofia for support to restore the historical site after it found the tomb’s plaster and paintings covered in mold and in very poor condition. The grant included the restoration of the tomb, conservation and stabilization of the colored belts, and information materials about the importance of this valuable artifact of cultural heritage.

In a statement Friday, the US Embassy declared they are proud to be a part of this program to assist Bulgarian institutions to save valuable cultural heritage artifacts such as the Thracian tomb

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