The Temple of Cybele

The Temple of Cybele is the only preserved Hellenistic temple in the Balkans. A landmark of this seaside town is also its art gallery.

The ancient temple of the “Pontic Mother of the Gods – Cybele,” a national cultural monument, was discovered in 2007. The temple was built between 280–260 BC and is believed to have been active for 700 years, even a century after the adoption of Christianity as a religion. This is evidenced by numerous materials, including inscriptions in Greek.

Many depictions of the Great Mother of the Gods – Cybele – have been discovered. She is portrayed wearing a long cloak, seated on a throne with a scepter or a tympanum (a small hand drum) in her left hand. In five of the statuettes, a lion rests in her lap. Cybele is also the goddess of all living things on Earth, of nature’s renewal, and of fertility. She embodies both male and female aspects, which is why her priests – the Galli – would castrate themselves.

The temple was destroyed by a fire that broke out in 378 AD, during a time when the region was being plundered and burned by the Goths.

In 544 AD, the coast of Dionysopolis was struck by a massive sea wave. It caused a landslide from the surrounding hills, which buried and sealed the temple. Like Pompeii, this preserved it to the present day.

During the excavations, besides marble statues and reliefs of the Goddess, coins, bone needles, ceramic and glass vessels, and inscriptions in Ancient Greek and Latin were found. These can be seen in the historical museum in Balchik.

A key cultural symbol of the town is also the oldest art gallery in Southern Dobrudzha, established in the 1930s. The history of the artistic life in the region is closely linked to it.

Romanian Queen Marie played a significant role in its founding. In the 1930s, Balchik was one of the main cultural centers of Romania, serving as a kind of summer residence for the cultural elite. Numerous studios for painters and sculptors were established, various cultural and scientific events were organized, and both a museum and gallery were created. After 1940, Balchik returned to Bulgarian territory. The Romanian authorities took all the valuables from the museum and gallery. In the following years, the city managed to restore the activities of its cultural institutions. The National Art Gallery donated 76 works by Bulgarian artists – paintings, graphics, and sculptures. Donations from local residents helped to build up a collection, and the first exhibition was held on May 25, 1965. Since 1987, the gallery has had its own spacious and functional building. On the first floor are two halls for temporary exhibitions and one for foreign art. The second floor hosts the permanent exhibition, which includes significant works by Bulgarian artists. The dominant theme is the sea, with landscapes of old Balchik, portraits, still lifes, and several graphic works. The gallery also displays works of Balchik painted by Romanian artists from 1919–1940. Fourteen paintings inherited from the first museum exhibition have also been preserved.

Thanks to the rich program of cultural events in the city, the gallery’s collection continues to grow. In 2012, Balchik was declared the festival capital of the Balkans. The gallery and the key international art workshops and symposiums hosted here – in caricature, painting, and contemporary art – have contributed greatly to this recognition.