Over the centuries, many people have crossed Bulgarian lands – Thracians, Greeks, Romans, Slavs, Ottomans, etc. All of them have left their mark, culture and knowledge. Historic evidence of various civilizations that have been on Bulgaria`s territories are seen everywhere. Golden treasures, architectural ensembles, rock relieves, monastery complexes show us the faith, beliefs and fights of the people who lived on these ancients lands.  Historically Bulgaria is one of the first countries in Europe and it is thought to be one Europe`s earliest inhabited areas.

The earliest monuments are the drawings found in the Magura cave (Second Millennium BC), the remains from Palaeolitic cultures in several caves in Stara planina (Balkan Mountains) and the Rhodope Mountains. Traces of some seaside Neolithic and Palaeolithic cultures have been found in the areas of cape Kaliakra and the southern seaside town Ahtopol. There have been found a lot of remains from Thracian, Old Greek and Roman culture in the Bulgarian lands. The Kazanluk tomb and the Sveshtari tomb are remarkable monuments of the Thracian art. The Kazanluk tomb is from the end of the 4th and the beginning of the 3rd century BC. The murals on the walls of the tomb reflect battle scenes and the symbolic farewell with the Thracian ruler accompanied by three racing chariots. The Sveshtare tomb is built in the first half of the 3rd century BC. The chamber was decorated as a facade of a temple with depicted horseman who takes a golden garland from the hands of a goddess with a religious procession following her.

Whole ancient cities have been restored. Some of them are Augusta Trajana, Apolonia, Trimoncium, Nicopolis ad Istrum etc. Under the capital city Sofia have been found thousands square meters of ruins from the ancient city Serdica.
In the Middle Ages massive fortifications, monumental castles, temples and basilicas are built in the Old Bulgarian capitals Pliska and Veliki Preslav.