Thracian tomb Griffins, Ancient Thracian burial site in Shipka, Bulgaria.

The Thracian Tomb Griffins has an 8 m long, 4.70 m wide corridor of river stones leading to a rectangular antechamber with a double-pitched roof. The circular chamber is covered by a finely made dome, and both rooms have floors of plastered granite slabs. A monumental facade with an Ionic door frame and a pediment whose ends resemble griffin heads faces southeast.

The burial site was discovered in 1996 in the valley between Shipka and Sheynovo, an important region for Thracian royal graves. Its construction and furnishings date back approximately 2400 years.

The tomb takes its name from the griffin decorations adorning its entrance, showing how skillfully the Thracians designed their burial places. This craftsmanship is visible in the stone doors that visitors can still observe today.

The tomb lies between the town of Shipka and the village of Sheynovo, in the Valley of the Thracian Rulers. Its 8 m long, 4.70 m wide entry corridor was cut narrower in a second building phase, and the façade faces southeast. A project approved in 2015 planned protective roofs, humidity and temperature monitoring and glassed metal platforms at the entrance.

The gold paws were found on a movable stone block set in front of the ritual bed, a block with a profiled face and a horizontal line painted in red. Georgi Kitov's team, which opened the tomb on 19 August 1996, compared this block to a step, a seat or a table known from Greek vase paintings of banquets and erotic scenes.