The village of Archar

The village is 27 km south of Vidin. It is situated on the two banks of the Archar River, near its mouth. The village was built up in the 1st century, during the time of the Roman Empire, and it was called Ratiaria. During the rule of Emperor Aurelian, Ratiaria became a main town of the coastal province Dacia. In the 2nd – 3rd century it was a port with pottery and goldsmith centers, sculpture shop and many crafts. The remains of an old amphitheater and two bronze theater masks were found. In 1981 – 1991 excavations were made by Bulgarian-Italian team. As a result in the Turkish quarter of Archar a lot of golden objects were found. You can see fully preserved walls, parts of buildings, crockery, bowls and pipes in most of the village yards. Every year, during the first weekend of August, the village fair of Archar is organized.

Location