About Protobulgarian Cross-Shaped Temples?

The article examines two buildings with a cross-shaped plan, located in Pliska. After the destroying of one of the buildings, the Great Basilica was built on its remains. The report includes all the opinions of researchers about the purpose of the cross-shaped building - a tomb from the early Byzantine period, a protobulgarian pagan temple, a mausoleum of the Bulgarian Khans, a church, a baptistery, a martyrium. Its construction history, superstructure, construction periods, facilities that are functionally related to it, its fate after the adoption of Christianity are examined. A church was built on the foundations of the second crossshaped building. Therefore, her researcher is of the opinion that it was a protobulgarian temple. Most archaeologists believe that only the buildings with a plan of inscribed quadrilaterals were protobulgarian pagan temples and in their works do not mention this building at all and do not comment on the possibility that it was a pagan temple. R. Рашев reminded us of this forgotten monument. Other archaeologists also believe that the two cross-shaped buildings were probably pagan temples and formed a new group of cross-shaped temples in addition to the group of temples with a plan consisting of inscribed quadrilaterals. Keywords: Protobulgarian Cross-Shaped Temples, Cross-Shaped Building, Pliska, Great Basilica, Church № 3