Bulgaria chose the Madarski Konnik (Madara Horseman) for the design of the future Bulgarian Euro coins after one-year debates in the framework of the national symbol campaign.
The relief near Bulgaria’s town of Shumen gathered a total of 25% of all citizens across the country, who voted for months to choose between the rose, the Rila monastery, Madara Horseman and the Cyrillic alphabet.
Bulgaria’s President Georgi Parvanov also attended the final discussion, which took place in the National museum of History.
The relief depicts a majestic horseman thrusting a spear into a lion lying at his horse’s feet while an eagle is flying in front of the rider and a dog is running after him. The scene symbolically depicts a military triumph and was engraved in the rock during Khan Tervel’s rule at the beginning of the 8th century.
