The unique, 10 000-year-old cave paintings in the Magurata cave in northwest Bulgaria will be restored with money of Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein's taxpayers. Photo by Yuliana Nikolova (Sofia Photo Agency)
One of the most famous caves in Bulgaria, Magurata, which is a top tourist attraction famous for its drawings by prehistoric people, will be renovated with money from the European Economic Area financial mechanism.
The news was announced by the Mayor of the nearby town of Belogradchik Emil Tsankov, who announced the Municipality had won a project for the renovation of the cave for almost EUR 400 000. The funds will come from the states included in the EEA together with the EU - Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.
The main activities of the project will include continuing of the archeological excavations around and inside the cave, as well as the restoration of some of the prehistoric drawings dating back to 8000 BC.
The project also includes the construction of six museum platforms in the open to put on display historical artifacts. The Municipality is going to submit a request to UNESCO for including Magurata into the list of objects of the world cultural heritage.
The execution of the project will start in the spring of 2009, and will last 18 months.