Madara Rider, Rock relief sculpture in Shumen, Bulgaria.

The Madara Rider is a bas-relief carved into a vertical cliff about 23 m above ground, measuring 2.6 m high and 3.1 m wide at the base. It shows a life-size horseman facing right, spear raised over a lion at the horse's feet, with a dog running behind and a bird in front of the rider's face. A vertical crack runs through the stone between the horse and its hindquarters.

The relief was created between 700 and 800 CE during the First Bulgarian Empire and bears three medieval Greek inscriptions naming rulers Tervel, Krum, and Omurtag. These inscriptions document the continuity of Bulgarian rule across several generations.

The relief combines elements from Thracian and Bulgarian traditions, showing a warrior figure that became a symbol of Bulgarian national identity. It expresses the power and authority that early Bulgarian rulers wanted to convey to their people.

The platform below the relief is reached by a staircase of nearly 100 metres, with steep steps to the left leading up to the Madara plateau. The reserve opens 8:00–19:00 in summer and 8:00–16:00 in winter. A visit stamp is kept at the "Madara Rider" hut.

The relief is the only known example of medieval rock art in Europe that combines figurative imagery and historical inscriptions in one monument. This combination makes it an extraordinary historical source that merges both artistic and documentary value.