Basarabi Cave Complex, Medieval cave complex in Murfatlar, Romania.
Basarabi Cave Complex is a network of six churches, multiple galleries, and Christian burials carved into a white chalk hill near the Danube-Black Sea Canal. The spaces and corridors extend across different levels and feature carefully cut niches, altars, and decorated surfaces.
These caves developed roughly between the 9th and 11th centuries as a monastic settlement when the region was part of the Bulgarian Empire. The site remained hidden until its discovery in 1957, which exposed layers from a distant historical period.
The walls feature over sixty Turkic runes and inscriptions in Greek, Glagolitic, and Cyrillic scripts alongside religious symbols and drawings. These varied scripts reflect the trading contacts and cultural exchange that occurred at this location across centuries.
The location sits in Murfatlar and is easily reachable, with regular opening hours for visitors and research activities. Plan to spend enough time exploring the different levels and chambers at a comfortable pace.
Excavations uncovered remains of northern European warriors and ship drawings on the walls, pointing to visits by Viking traders. This unexpected find reveals that medieval trade networks extended to this remote location.
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