The French Prime Minister was impressed by the Exhibition at the National Museum of Archaeology

On February 2, 2007 the French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin visited the National Institute of Archaeology and Museum as part of his official visit to Bulgaria. Prime Minister de Villepin was accompanied by many French journalists. In the classic atmosphere Museum’s Central Hall, he had conversations with Bulgarian intellectuals and politicians. The Director of the NAIM Prof. Vassil Nikolov made the Prime Minister acquainted both with the history of the NAIM and the more important exhibits at the Museum. The guest paid a special attention to the Thracian hoards and was very impressed by the culture and everyday life of the prehistoric civilizations in Bulgaria as well as of the early European migrations. He showed special interest to the Mother Goddess cult. Prime Minister de Villepin got acquainted with the earliest metallurgy in Europe and the earliest worked gold as well as with the finds from Tell Karanovo, a reference site for the prehistory of southeast Europe; he took a look at the Valchitran hoard, the golden mask from the Svetitsa tumulus, the bronze head of Seutes III from the Golyama Kosmatka tumulus, the copy of the Madara Horseman, the stone inscriptions of the First Bulgarian Kingdom and other important exhibits. The tour included also the Prehistory Hall, the Vault and the Middle Ages Hall. Dominique de Villepin wrote in the Museum’s Guestbook: “Thank you for this lovely tour in history”.