Housed in the former Great Mosque (Büyük Camii) of 1474, the museum holds the country's premier collection of Thracian, Roman, and medieval Bulgarian artefacts. The Thracian gold from Panagyurishte and Valchitran — fourth-century BC drinking vessels of staggering sophistication — is the highlight, along with the Madara Horseman replica and a hall of medieval frescoes.
The building itself is one of the largest Ottoman mosques surviving in the Balkans. The prayer hall is now the central exhibition gallery; the mihrab is gone but the dome and the inscription bands remain. Two to three hours is enough for a thorough visit.