The Salt Museum is a specialized museum in the Bulgarian city of Pomorie , opened on September 7, 2002 on the territory between Lake Pomorie and salt ponds. The museum has the status of a national tourist attraction.
| Salt Museum in Pomorie | |
|---|---|
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| Established | 2002 |
| Location | |
| Address |  Pomorie |
| Website | saltmuseum.bg |
History
Archaeological finds indicate that sea salt in Pomorie was mined from about the 5th century BC . Some Bulgarian historians believe that salt mines existed even before the foundation of the city itself. Until the 1920s, sea salt in Bulgaria was mined exclusively in Pomorie. Salt was rare and in some places had a value equal to the value of gold. Therefore, Pomorie salt mines were the subject of controversy and war. During the Ottoman period , a state monopoly on the extraction and trade of sea salt was established. Sea salt produced in Bulgaria not only met the country's needs, but was also exported to countries located in the modern states of Turkey , Greece , Romania and Georgia .
Until 1947, the salt mines in Pomorie were mostly privately owned. In the period 1947-1949, nationalization was carried out, but the production technology did not undergo significant changes. Salt mines were used for multiple salt collection. This type of production functioned until 1981 . After this period, salt was mined in industrial mines.
The museum was created on the initiative of the Bulgarian government and the Pomorie community. Significant financial support for the implementation of the project was provided by the European Union under the All About Salt / ALAS / 2001-2002 and the Development of the Salt Museum in Pomorie as a completed cultural tourism projects 2004-2005 programs.
In the period from 2012 to 2013, another project was implemented “ Pomorie - tourist area - the city of salt, ancient history and traditions ” with free financial assistance under the program “ Regional Development ” (2007-2013). Thanks to this project, Pomorie salt ponds and the Salt Museum are turning into a year-round tourist area. In 2013, a comprehensive reconstruction of both the museum itself and the surrounding area was carried out. The museum building was repaired, the coastline was cleaned, access roads were arranged and the surrounding territory was landscaped.
Exposition
The Salt Museum consists of a small one-story museum building and 25 decares of salt ponds, where visitors have the opportunity to lively see all the technological processes of salt production. The museum exhibits a unique collection of various documents of the 15th — 20th centuries, photographs of the beginning of the 20th century , old topographic maps, wheelbarrows, rakes and other salt extraction equipment. The museum has a souvenir shop.