print
send this article
Recently archeologists in Bulgaria announced the discovery of Saint John the Baptist 's relics and the Bulgarian government has seen the discovery as a way to overcome the financial crisis, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The relics will attract more tourists from neighboring Orthodox Christian countries, Bulgarian official say.
Some experts are skeptical about the authenticity of the bones discovered. According to Michael Hesemann, a religious historian who helps the Vatican to date relics, the bones are authentic. But Hesemann said that the Bulgarian discovery will fail gaining the popularity of other religious tourism sites.
Despite these claims, the relics have already attracted tourist. Thousand of believers flock to the St George church, where relics are temporarily displayed. The church is visited by nearly 3000 people per day.
The relics of Saint John the Baptist have the same importance as The Shroud of Turin,Kazamir Popkonstantinov, the archaeologist who discovered the relics, said. "This kind of discovery happens perhaps once every two hundred years," he said. "We have very strong proof that this is genuine. I know this is very important for the whole Christian world."
Bulgaria, the poorest nation in EU, could use an economic miracle. Bulgaria’s GDP went down five percent in 2009 and 3.5 percent in the first quarter of 2010.
In an attempt to help the country's economy in challenging times, the government is looking for ways to promote tourism. Finance Minister Simeon Dyankov said that funding for religious tourism development could be doubled.
According to World Tourism Organization, religious pilgrimages are a major business option worldwide.
The relics will attract more tourists from neighboring Orthodox Christian countries, Bulgarian official say.
Some experts are skeptical about the authenticity of the bones discovered. According to Michael Hesemann, a religious historian who helps the Vatican to date relics, the bones are authentic. But Hesemann said that the Bulgarian discovery will fail gaining the popularity of other religious tourism sites.
Despite these claims, the relics have already attracted tourist. Thousand of believers flock to the St George church, where relics are temporarily displayed. The church is visited by nearly 3000 people per day.
The relics of Saint John the Baptist have the same importance as The Shroud of Turin,Kazamir Popkonstantinov, the archaeologist who discovered the relics, said. "This kind of discovery happens perhaps once every two hundred years," he said. "We have very strong proof that this is genuine. I know this is very important for the whole Christian world."
Bulgaria, the poorest nation in EU, could use an economic miracle. Bulgaria’s GDP went down five percent in 2009 and 3.5 percent in the first quarter of 2010.
In an attempt to help the country's economy in challenging times, the government is looking for ways to promote tourism. Finance Minister Simeon Dyankov said that funding for religious tourism development could be doubled.
According to World Tourism Organization, religious pilgrimages are a major business option worldwide.
Comments (0 comments)