Nessebar, Oct 20 (BTA/GNA) – Three exceptionally rare artifacts from the Ancient Nessebar Museum are some of the exhibits from 14 Bulgarian museums to be displayed in the upcoming exhibition at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California.
The Ancient Thrace and the Ancient World. Treasures from Bulgaria, Romania and Greece exhibition features more than 150 artifacts. It will be on between November 3 and March 3, 2025.
The treasured objects provided by the Ancient Nessebar Museum for the exhibition in the United States illustrate the rich cultural heritage of the town in the Antiquity period and the symbiosis with the surrounding Thracians. The town was then called Mesembria, the old Thracian name for present-day Nessebar.
Todor Marvakov, Director of the Ancient Nessebar Museum, tells BTA’s Galya Teneva more about the exhibits, their significance and value.
The three exhibits are a marble tombstone of Julia-Hecate from the 2nd century with a very interesting inscription, a marble tablet dating back to the 4th century BC with a dedication to Cybele, and a ceramic sima with decorations of ancient houses and various images on them.
The first and most interesting monument is the tombstone of Julia-Hecate, which mentions the town’s history and origin. It is inscribed: “My homeland is called Mesambria, from ‘Melsa’ and ‘Bria’.”
This points to the origin of the name Mesambria, which means “a town of Melsa”. “Bria” is the Thracian word for town, while Melsa is the name of the Thracian founder of the town.
GNA/BTA