site.btaExhibition Entitled "The Saga of the Thracian Kings: Archaeological Discoveries in Bulgaria" to Be Inaugurated at Louvre on April 14

Exhibition Entitled "The Saga of the Thracian Kings: Archaeological Discoveries in Bulgaria" to Be Inaugurated at Louvre on April 14


Sofia, April 10 (BTA) - "The Saga of the Thracian Kings: Archaeological Discoveries in Bulgaria" is the title of an exhibition that will be formally inaugurated at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, on April 14, the Bulgarian Culture Ministry said in a press release on Friday. The event will take place under the auspices of Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov.

The first opening ceremony, on April 14, will be attended by Bulgarian Culture Minister Vezhdi Rashidov, French Culture and Communication Minister Fleur Pellerin and the members of the two countries culture delegations. The guests of honour invited to the function include UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, EU Commission Vice President Kristalina Georgieva and Bulgarian-born singer Sylvie Vartan.

A second, special opening of the exhibition will take place on April 15. The invitees to it are all directors of museums which made available their exhibits for inclusion in the exhibition and the sponsors who supported the conservation and restoration of the artefacts, the accompanying promotional campaign for Bulgaria's cultural heritage and for the forthcoming visit of two exhibitions from the Louvre, in Plovdiv and Sofia.

Three French and two Bulgarian curators produced the scientific concept and selected the items for the display. It features 1,629 exhibits from 17 Bulgarian museums and 20 exhibits from the Louvre and 11 other cultural institutions, including the British Museum and the Prado Museum.

The exhibition explores various components of the Odrysian Kingdom. On show for the first time will be several complete sets of major tomb furnishings, allowing a comparison of previously unseen items with similar material found in Greek city-states along the coast. A centrepiece is the bronze head of King Seuthes III (reigned ca. 331 - ca. 300 BC) from the holdings of the Institute of Archaeology and Museum with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in Sofia.

The display is arranged in four halls in the Louvre's Richelieu Wing and can be seen between April 16 and July 20, 2015. Admission is included in the museum ticket. PK/LG//