They are not far from the village of Sveshtari and are considered to be among the most brilliant creations of the ancient Thracian civilization discovered so far in Bulgaria. The historical and archeological reserve of Sbrorianovo is made up of two sacred territories: the sanctuary on the Kamen Rid Plateau and the Alianic centre of worship Demir Baba Teke (the Iron Father). The ancient Thracian town is in the centre of the reserve. It has been identified as the capital of the ruler of the Geti Dromihaid- Helis and is considered to have been built at the time when the Geti tribe reached their political, economic and cultural heyday (4th-3rd century BC).

In 1988 and 1989 archeologists discovered two tombs in the northern part of the Eastern necropolis. One seems to have been semi-destroyed by an earthquake. Both tombs are made up of an ante-room and a chamber with semi-cylindrical domes. Fragments of vessels, arms for parade and animal bones prove that those buried in the tombs were of a high social standing.


Beyond dispute, the third tomb is the most interesting of all. It is the so-called Royal Tomb dating back to the 3rd century BC. Its ornate decoration and perfect architecture witnesses to the might of the ruler for whom it was build. Next to the Geti ruler was buried his wife. The tomb consists of an antechamber and two square chambers and it is covered with a fill. The decoration of the tomb skillfully c ombines Hellenistic concepts with Thracian religious and artistic ideas. Oval ornaments decorate the pillars at the entrance to the tomb.

Over them is a relief frieze of stylized ox heads, rosettes and garlands. Extremely valuable are the ten female figures - Caryatides, with their arms raised, depicting the deification of the Geti ruler. They are 1.20 m high and are clad in long dresses - chitons. The stone figures look graceful and delicate thanks to the extreme precision with which their clothes were chiseled. The draperies below their waist line look like tulip flowers turned upside down. The faces of the women look placid and their hair is plaited on both sides of their heads. The wall painting represents a goddess handing a gold wreath to the ruler. The Sveshtari Tomb is included in the UNESCO list of monuments of world cultural importance.