Murfatlar Cave Complex Explained

The Basarabi-Murfatlar Cave Complex is a medieval Christian monastery located near the town of Murfatlar (known as Basarabi between 1924–1965 and 1975–2007), Constanța County, Northern Dobruja, Romania. The complex is a relict from a widespread monastic phenomenon in 10th century Bulgaria.^[1]

History

The rock churches of Murflatlar, carved into a chalk hill, were discovered in 1957. The excavations conducted in 1957–1960 uncovered a complex of cells-dwellings, 4 small and 2 larger churches, crypts and tombs, all dating from the 9th – 11th century.^{[2] [3] [4]} From the late 7th until beginning of the 11th century this territory was part of the First Bulgarian Empire.^{[5] [6] [7]}

Inscriptions

There are many inscriptions engraved on the walls – 2 in the Greek alphabet, 2 in the Old Slavonic language (Bulgarian recension) using the Glagolitic script and over 30 using the Cyrillic script. The most numerous are the runic inscriptions of Turkic type – over 60 have been found so far.^[8] The same type of runes have been used on the Pliska Rosette and can be found on building materials and on the 9th century walls of the first Bulgarian capital Pliska. The Turkic runes in Murfatlar were based probably on the Kharosthi script.^[9] The language of the runes is presumably Bulgar.^[10] According to Romanian researchers, some graffiti, including depicting a Viking ships, were interpreted as Varangian.^{[11] [12]} However, they could have been carved by the local monks during the Rus' invasion of Bulgaria.^[13] Despite numerous attempts at cracking the Murfatlar script, there still is not a universally accepted decipherment, and it is rather heterogeneous.^[14] Nevertheless, it is most likely that local monks drew their inspiration here.^[15]

External links

• Basarabi – The Cave Churches Complex
• General Overview of the Inscriptions from Murfatlar (in English)
• Съчетанията от графична рисунка и рунообразен надпис в Равна и Мурфатлар. – Културните текстове на миналото, Рашо Рашев, Кн. III. София, 2005, с. 140–148. (in Bulgarian)
• За четенето на един рунически надпис от Мурфатлар – Северна Добруджа, Иван Т. Иванов М. Минкова, Националeн исторически институт с музей при БAН, София 2009. с. 297 – 299 (in Bulgarian, English summary)
• Надписи из Мурфатлара,Д-р Живко Войников (in Russian)
• Popkonstantinov, Kazimir 1986: Die Inschriften des Felsklosters Murfatlar. Die Slawischen Sprachen 10, 1986, 77–106.(in Deutsch)

Notes and References

1. Southeastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 500–1250, Florin Curta, Cambridge University Press, 2006,, p. 232.
2. И. Барня. Предварительные сведения о каменныйх памятниках Бесарби, – Dacia, VI, 1962;
3. I. Barnea, S. Stefanescu. – Din istoria Dobrogei, III, București, 1971, 180–233.
4. I. Barnea, V. Bilciurescu. Şantierul arheologic Basarabi (reg. Constanța), Materiale şi cercetări arheologice, București, 6, 1959, 541–566;
5. Nikolov, G., Centralism and regionalism in Bulgaria during the early Middle ages (end of the 7th— beginning of the 11th century, Централизъм и регионализъм в ранносредновековна България (края на VII— началото на ХІ в.), София 2005, стр. 195.
6. Political geography of medieval Bulgaria. From 681 to 1018. Петър Коледаров, Издателство на Българска Академия на Науките, София 1979, стр. 55.
7. A History of the Byzantine State and Society, Author Warren T. Treadgold, Publisher Stanford University Press, 1997,, p. 523.
8. В. Бешевлиев: Етническата принадлежност на рунните надписи при Мурфатлар. – сп. Векове, 4, 1976, 12–22.
9. И. Kызласов. Рунические письменности евразийских степей. Восточная литература, РАН, 1994, 327 стр., =
10. В. Бешевлиев: Етническата принадлежност на рунните надписи при Мурфатлар. – сп. Векове, 4, 1976, 12–22.
11. Florin Pintescu, PRESENCE DE L’ELEMENT VIKING DANS L’ESPACE DE LA ROMANITÉ ORIENTALE EN CONTEXTE MÉDITERRANÉEN, Studia Antiqua et Archaeologica, VIII, Iași, 2001
12. Spinei, Victor (2009). The Romanians and the Turkic Nomads North of the Danube Delta from the Tenth to the Mid-Thirteenth century. Koninklijke Brill NV.p. 54,
13. Byzantine Military Organization on the Danube, 10th-12th Centuries, Alexandru Madgearu, BRILL, 2013,, p. 27.
14. The Other Europe in the Middle Ages: Avars, Bulgars, Khazars and Cumans, editors Florin Curta, Roman Kovalev, Publisher BRILL, 2008,, p. 191.
15. The cave and the dyke: a rock monastery on the tenth-century frontier of Bulgaria. Florin Curta, Studia Monastica 41 (1999), no. 1: 129-149; p. 140.