Cape Kaliakra

The Ottoman Empire invaded Bulgaria in the late 14th century, burning and raping their way across the country. According to the stories livestock were slaughtered for sport, villages and crops were set aflame, and those who resisted were killed where they stood; girls who were captured were either kept for the pleasure of the Ottoman officers, or sent to join the Sultan’s harem at Constantinople. It is said that when the Ottoman army approached Kaliakra, 40 local girls fled to the end of the headland. They tied their hair together, and jumped from the edge of the cliff; preferring to die on the rocks beneath rather than be captured. An obelisk known as ‘The Gate of the 40 Maidens’ now stands at the entrance to the cape, in memory of their sacrifice.

Museum at Cape Kaliakra

• Admission: adults – BGN 3
•  children – 1,50 BGN.
• Guided tours are available, but only in the Bulgarian language. The price is 10 BGN.