Bulgaria

Bulgaria Salt Stamp
The 2 stotinki denomination from the "Third World Philatelic Exhibition"
issue of April 15, 1974 depicts a children's drawing of salt pans.

The oldest salt production center in Europe (5500-4200 BC) is found at the prehistoric complex of Provadia-Solnitsata, near the town of Provadia. In 2012 Bulgaria produced 2,100,000 metric tonnes of salt, ranking 22nd in the world, accounting for 0.76 % of production. Salt pans such as the ones pictured on the 2 stotinki denomination from the "Third World Philatelic Exhibition" issue of April 15, 1974 are found in places such as Burgas' Atanasovsko Lake where the salt pans are a major tourist attraction.

Bulgaria Salt Stamp
November 29, 2023 souvenir Sheet commemorating the salt mine
in Pomorie where there are salt pans and a salt museum.

Pomorie Lake is a natural lagoon with an exceptionally high level of salinity situated along the Black Sea coast north of Pomorie. Sand dunes covered with specialized vegetation have formed on the sand strip separating the lake from the sea. High concentrations of ferrous oxide give the sand a black colour. Because of the moderate climate and the salinity of the water salt has been produced by evaporation in man-made salt pans since ancient times. The salinity of the water, more than twice that of the Black Sea, has created a unique environment with great diversity in flora and fauna. The water and mud are also known for their medicinal qualities. A museum in Pomorie, as well as a stamp issued in 2023, pay tribute to the importance of the salt industry in the area.

Sources

"Branch Museum of Salt." Museum of History Municipality of Pomorie. 20 Mar. 2023. Web. 20 Mar. 2023.
pomorie-historical-museum.com/obekti-kam-muzeya/filial-muzey-na-solta.html.

"Burgas-Salt Pans." inyourpocket ESSENTIAL CITY GUIDES. nd. Web. 20 Mar. 2023.
www.inyourpocket.com/Burgas/Salt-pans_116846v.

Federation of nature conservation NGOs Green Balkans. "Pomorie Lake." Green Balkans Federation. nd.
Web. 12 Sep. 2024. greenbalkans.org/pomorielake/indexdetails.php?menu_id=34&c_lang=2.

"List of countries by salt production." Wikipedia. 3 Oct. 2022. Web. 20 Mar. 2023.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_salt_production.

Nikolov, Vassil. "The prehistoric salt-production and urban center of Provadia-Solnitsata, Northeastern Bulgaria."
Mediterranee. 2016. Web. 20 Mar. 2023. journals.openedition.org/mediterranee/8246.

Go to the Salty Stamps Home Page.

Go to the Eclectic Philatelist Home Page.