Home / Culture and Lifestyle / I am sure you did not know this about Bulgaria

I am sure you did not know this about Bulgaria

By on April 3, 2014

For a country of its size, Bulgaria has given quite a lot to the world. Here are 12 Bulgarian achievements and records in sports, science, culture and industry that you probably didn’t know about!

Old Bulgarian Alphabet crylics

The Cyrillic alphabet, one of the world’s most widely used writing systems, was invented at the Preslav Literary School in Bulgaria in the 9th century. Today it is used by over 250 million people in Europe and Asia!

Atanasoff Berry Computer Bulgaria

Bulgarian American inventor John Atanasoff played a key role in computer history. His non-programmable prototype, the Atanasoff–Berry computer, is recognized as the first electronic digital computer.

The highest-jumping woman in the world is a Bulgarian. Olympic and world champion Stefka Kostadinova still holds the world record in the high jump athletic discipline which she set in 1987.

oldest gold treasure bulgaria

The oldest gold treasure in history was unearthed at the Varna Necropolis site in northeastern Bulgaria. The treasure dates back more than 6,000 years and consists of the most ancient worked gold items in the world. Amazingly, this collection of global importance is not among the 9 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Bulgaria.

Bulgaria high speed internet quality

Bulgaria has the best-quality Internet connection in the world according to a combined factor of speed, stability and customer satisfaction. And also the cheapest per megabit!

skylab 012 bulgarian astronaut

In 1979, Bulgaria became the sixth country in the world to send an astronaut (cosmonaut) in space. Two Bulgarians were part of the Soviet Union’s Intercosmos space program of manned orbital missions – Georgi Ivanov and Aleksandar Aleksandrov.

Bulgarian natural rose oil

Bulgaria produces about 70% of all rose oil in the world. Natural rose oil is a key component of most perfumes. Bulgaria is also the world’s top exporter of lavender, a fragrant herb used in cuisine and aromatherapy.

Read  So you want to come to Bulgaria?

Hristo Stoichkov Bulgarian footballer

Bulgarian footballer Hristo Stoichkov won the Ballon d’Or, Europe’s prime individual award in football, in 1994. In 1990, Stoichkov also won the Golden Boot as Europe’s top scorer – and so have done two other Bulgarians, Petar Zhekov (1969) and Georgi Slavkov (1981).

A record of a Bulgarian song has travelled in interstellar space “further than anyone, or anything, in history”. The captivating folk song Izlel e Delyu haydutin, performed by singer Valya Balkanska, is part of the Voyager Golden Record, carried by the Voyager 1 and 2 space probes into the Universe since 1977.

TaratorBg Bulgarian yoghurt

Local yogurt, an integral part of some of the most delicious Bulgarian food classics and refreshing Bulgarian drinks, is internationally renowned, and not without reason. Its natural health benefits owe much to the bacterium Lactobacillus bulgaricus, discovered by Bulgarian microbiologist Stamen Grigorov in 1905.

Bulgarian visual effects designer George Borshukov was a major contributor to the bullet time effect in The Matrix trilogy.

Bugaria in 1994 FIFA World Cup

In 1994, the Bulgarian national team made international headlines by finishing fourth at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA. On the way, Bulgaria beat defending world champions Germany 2-1 in a dramatic encounter.

If you are already fascinated, here are some mind-blowing reasons why you should visit Bulgaria. Want more fascinating information on Bulgaria? Simply head over to my website Kashkaval Tourist, where you will find every reason to love Bulgaria. Add your reactions in the comment section below!

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Guest writer, designer and blogger from Bulgaria. Maintains www.kashkaval-tourist.com
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  • JD

    That was stupid. First, Cyrillic is nothing more than a simplified Greek alphabet. Since Bulgarians found it hard to use Glagolitic alphabet, a simplified Greek script was introduced instead. Second, Konrad Zuse’s Z1 computer was invented 6 years before Atanassof-Berrys. Third, some woman jumped high – who cares!

    • Starski

      You seems don’t know that part of the letters in Cyrillic alphabet comes from Glagolic (not Glagolitic) alphabet… Do you know that exist even older signs, letters than Greek alphabet there? or maybe even oldest letters http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vin%C4%8Da_signs … Atanassof-Berrys is the first computer for more info you can read in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atanasoff%E2%80%93Berry_computer

    • neverboy

      You really are a hater, right ? Does this really make you feel nice ? If so, it’s better to use real facts, not just plain sayings without proof.
      PS: As stated above, Atanassof-Berrys IS the first ELECTRONIC DIGITAL COMPUTER, unlike Konrad Zuse’s Z1, which is a MECHANICAL computer.

    • emmakay

      Why so aggressive??
      …and wrong too!
      Shame on you!
      Emm

    • Jeko

      Apparently u are really dumb and ignorant , these are some of the more than 1000 facts for Bulgaria and Bulgarian people . Like the basic one that Bulgaria as a state exist since 1600 B.C. and that is a historical fact taken from OTHER ancient already dead countries and tribes history . And the current , last established country Bulgaria funded around 5-th century AD and exist under same name BULGARIA until today and is the ONLY ONE WHICH NEVER CHANGED its name plus is the oldest state in EUROPE . Means IDIOT – when my ancestors took over present Bulgaria land from East Roman Empire and made a huge state , your , who ever u are , ancestor were still in the mud , cloaks , illiterate , and call them selves something very different than today .. Ican tell u a LOT MORE things about my country and people , but u won’t understand , apparently as result of your educational system , whoever and wherever u are .

    • Last chance

      JD, do you know how the Bulgarian (Cyrillic) alphabet looks like and how the greek one looks like? If you knew that there’s no connection between these two as they have totally different characters, maybe you wouldn’t have posted such stupid comment.
      Atanasoff’s computer is a world known invention, so the Just Doochbag’s comment cannot change the history 😀
      Third, some woman jumped high. She is Stefka Kostadinova and we, Bulgarians care.

    • Simpleton

      The Greek alphabet contains 24 letters, while the Glagolitic and Cyrillic contain 42. How does that ever qualify as simplification by any definition? 😀

      • neu

        Almost 28 of the 42 letters of Cyrillic alphabet are from the Greek alphabet, so it is not realy an invention…

    • Fotini

      Stupid, stupid man……

    • Monny Dimitrova

      JD go die somewhere…

  • виоли

    You seem to be American but who cares!

    • Hitender Kumar

      Nope.. it was written by a real Bulgarian..

      • виоли

        I meant the JD

  • Hitender Kumar

    Interesting article on Bulgaria.. it does make me want to know more about it..

  • Girl

    JD, your ignorance and hatred are astonishing, keep embarrassing yourself, it is kinda entertaining to see how stupid some ppl might be 😀 cheers 😀

  • Mario

    Cyrillic is Greek alphabet.. everybody knows that except the Bulgarians 😉 I love you all

  • Stuart Parkin

    “or maybe the gold is greek “νεκρόπολις nekropolis” “city of the dead” in greek language

  • Dobromir

    I am Bulgarian – just to say so you don`t need to bother about my nationality. I have travelled a lot and I have seen alot to tell you that every coutry has some astonishing places to see, museums, people, culture etc. Just not all of them are as famous as the Eiffel tower or Trafalgar square. However, this dosen`t make them less interesting or less worthy. And when some people who think the whole worls is just Western Europe, North America & CNN see byind their nose that the world is actually bigger and many people are smarter than you – it is hard to accept it! I know is and especially schoking to know that such a small coutry gave you the computer you use now to see this page. Bulgaria is at your home, and probably in your pocket – if you have smartphone. Bulgarians invented and used also the Bomber plane – to bombard the Turkish city of Odrin, but also the first aid – mouth to mouth breathing, discovered the heart rythm (5-6th beat) – in case you need heart surgery you could thank the Bulgarian doctor who made it possible. If you go to a stadium for a match, footbal etc. and look at the electronic pannel with the current result – you sould know that it is made by a Bulgarian company that invented it. Buy a nice parfume – it is probably with Bulgarian rose oil and even if you watch austronauts going to space – they eat specially prepared food by method invented in Bulgaria. So get over it! It is time that we all live in piece on this planet.

  • sofi

    The newest findings, after genetic and archaeological resurches and approved by England is that bulgarians are the oldest people in Europe and the first bulgarian civilization were made around 7 or more centuries before Christ. So bulgarians were the establishers of one of the 21 high developed human civilizations since humans exists. And yes, big part of the greeks history is not truth and about their language -they have tried during the centuries to displace bulgarian, but they have never successed. Why? Because bulgarian is not greek and it’s completely different, but half Europe speak similar to bulgarian and greek-only in Greece.

  • Abdulla Amodi

    i’m so wondering about all that achievements, they should be to pride oneself, really it’s new knowing of finishing,
    Thanks

  • Nikolai Tsekov

    It’s worth mentioning that traveling, staying, drinking and eating in Bulgaria is cheap as dirt. And women here look much better than those chubbies in Greece.

    And if you ever read Gor Vidal’s Julian, you can still see some places mentioned there.

  • Nikolai Tsekov

    Yeah, yeah, we know USA is guilty for everything…