Bulgaria

Notable facts

• The Cyrillic alphabet was developed in the Bulgarian Empire in the 9th–10th centuries; Bulgaria celebrates it with a national holiday on 24 May.
• Bulgaria produces a large share of the world’s rose oil, distilled in the Valley of the Roses near Kazanlak.
• Bulgarians traditionally nod for “no” and shake their head for “yes”.
• The Thracian tomb of Kazanlak and the gold of Varna — the oldest worked gold treasure known, about 6,000 years old — are both Bulgarian finds.

World Heritage 10 sites

• Boyana Church 1979 · Cultural
• Madara Rider 1979 · Cultural
• Rock-Hewn Churches of Ivanovo 1979 · Cultural

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National dish

Shopska saladшопска салата Tomato, cucumber and pepper under a heap of grated white brine cheese — the colours of the flag.

Invented in the 1950s by the state tourist agency. Banitsa, a coiled filo and cheese pastry, is older and claimed as often.