Thracian & RomanSofia & Western Bulgaria

The Sacred Pit of Garlo, a Bronze Age Well-Temple in Pernik District

The Sacred Pit of Garlo is an underground domed chamber with a deep well, hidden on a wooded hillside north of the village of Garlo in Pernik District. Its discoverer saw it as a sacred well of the kind built by the Nuragic civilisation of Sardinia, which makes it a one-off in the Balkans. It is a rewarding, off-the-beaten-track detour for anyone who likes archaeological puzzles.

Deep in a forested slope in western Bulgaria lies a vaulted underground chamber built over a spring. Its closest match stands on the island of Sardinia, far across the sea.

WhereWooded slope of Kula peak, north of the village of Garlo, Pernik District, western Bulgaria

TypePrehistoric underground well-temple with a domed chamber

Best forArchaeology enthusiasts, hikers and anyone drawn to unsolved mysteries

Getting thereBy dirt road from Garlo towards the Krasava micro-dam, then about 15 minutes on foot along an unmarked path

The history of the Sacred Pit of Garlo

The pit lies in a small valley full of springs, on the north-eastern slope of Kula peak in the northern part of the Greben mountain range, in the locality known as Pusto Garlo. It was found during excavations in 1972 by a team led by Professor Dimitrina Mitova-Dzhonova. She dates the structure to around the eleventh century BCE, while the Bulgarian Wikipedia article gives a wider span of the twelfth to tenth centuries BCE. Because systematic research has been limited, many interpretations of the building remain hypotheses.

At first the excavators thought they had found a domed tomb dug into a hillside, similar to the late Thessalian ones. But in those tombs the entrance corridor lies on the same level as the dome chamber, and here a wide open shaft appeared in the floor. The idea of a burial structure was dropped when the team uncovered bones of sacrificed animals, which pointed to a cult building. A flight of stone steps, partly in the open air and partly underground, leads down to a round vaulted chamber about 4.2 metres across, with a circular opening to the sky in the top of the vault. In the centre, directly over the spring, sits a well about five metres deep.

In her search for parallels, Mitova-Dzhonova looked at large ancient water installations at Mycenae and in Palestine, but these lack the domed chamber. In 1982 she travelled to Sardinia and saw many of the island's sacred wells and nuraghe towers. There she concluded that the well-temple at Ballao matched the Garlo structure in size and construction, and she linked Garlo to an early phase of the culture that later built the nuraghi. Roughly seventy such wells are known on Sardinia, and similar sites are reported from Crimea and Palestine.

The setting adds to the puzzle. On Sardinia the sacred wells stand on flat plateaus, whereas Garlo is half sunk into a steep mountain slope, which made it a far harder piece of building. The well was placed at the highest spring of the slope, and nine small springs were recorded on the hillside. Local people recalled a stone trough of four blocks west of the well, which survived until the late 1960s, and carved signs on the rocks above. About 150 metres to the east lies a small Roman bath fed by the same underground waters.

Who built the sanctuary, and why, is still an open question. Mitova-Dzhonova suggested that deities of water, and more precisely of underground water, were worshipped here. Migrants from the Nuragic world may have wanted a sacred place in their new home, or local people may have guided the builders. Her team also noted possible similar sites in other villages of Pernik District. After 2004, articles by the engineer Lyubomir Tsonev and the Balkan Megaliths project helped bring the site to wider attention.

Curious facts about the Sacred Pit of Garlo

The Bulgarian Wikipedia article calls it a unique architectural monument in the Balkans, with no earlier or later building of the same type.
It was first mistaken for a tomb. Only the bones of sacrificed animals showed that it was a place of worship.
In 1982 the discoverer visited Sardinia to compare it with the island's sacred wells and found the well-temple at Ballao to be the closest match.
On Sardinia such wells stand on level ground, while Garlo is cut into a steep slope, which makes the Bulgarian one far more complex to build.
The well sits at the highest spring on the slope, and nine small springs were documented on the hillside.
According to the English Wikipedia article, a sanctuary of the sun was laid out directly above the temple; today the rocks and terrain are covered by young forest.

Tours near Sacred Pit of Garlo

Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:

Half Day Tour around Sofia and the mountains with Thermal Spa

★ 5 (47 reviews) · 6 h

See details ›

ATV Off Road Tour Near Sofia Guided Quad Bike Experience

★ 5 (28 reviews) · 1.5 h

See details ›

Plovdiv, Asen's Fortress and Bachkovo Monastery small group tour with pickup

★ 5 (27 reviews) · 9 h

See details ›

Full-day Rila Monastery, Stob Pyramids and St Ivan Rilski Cave from Sofia

★ 5 (24 reviews) · 6 h

See details ›

Visiting the Sacred Pit of Garlo: what to expect

The site is north of Garlo village. A dirt road leads on to the wall of the Krasava micro-dam; after rain the stream crossings may only be passable with a high-clearance 4x4 vehicle.
From the dam wall it is about 15 minutes on foot. There is no signpost and the path is unmarked, so it is wise to ask locally for directions and to wear sturdy footwear.
The last stretch climbs through dense forest and bushes, with no clear trail, to the terrace around the dome.
Look for the stone steps, the vaulted chamber with its round opening, and the well; a small Roman bath lies about 150 metres to the east.
No visitor facilities or opening hours are mentioned in the sources; check current conditions before you go.

Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.

Map: where Sacred Pit of Garlo is

Photos of Sacred Pit of Garlo

Questions

What is the Sacred Pit of Garlo?

It is a prehistoric underground well-temple near the village of Garlo in Pernik District. A flight of steps leads to a round vaulted chamber built over a deep well.

How old is the Sacred Pit of Garlo?

Its discoverer, Professor Dimitrina Mitova-Dzhonova, dates it to around the eleventh century BCE. Other wording in the Bulgarian Wikipedia article gives the twelfth to tenth centuries BCE.

Why is it compared with Sardinia?

The layout of an underground domed chamber with a well, reached by steps, closely resembles the sacred wells of the Nuragic civilisation. The well-temple at Ballao is described as almost identical.

Where is the Sacred Pit of Garlo?

It lies on a wooded slope north of the village of Garlo in Pernik District, west Bulgaria, near the Krasava micro-dam.

How do you get to the Sacred Pit of Garlo?

A dirt road runs from Garlo towards the dam, and from the dam wall it is about 15 minutes on foot along an unmarked path. Asking locally for directions is advisable.

Who built the Sacred Pit of Garlo?

This is not known. Researchers have suggested people linked to the Nuragic culture of Sardinia, or local builders, and the question remains open.