What is the symbol that best represents Bulgaria? For almost half a year, Bulgarians have been displaying their best intentions to select the single most important image that the rest of the world would learn to associate with the country.

The Bulgarian Association for Business and Tourist Information (BABTI) launched a national campaign called Bulgarian symbols at the end of 2007. It is still dragging on despite the initially announced deadline in last February, though some say it has already reached its culmination.

At the beginning, people sent more than 20 000 suggestions which symbols should be taken into consideration, Violeta Ivanova, chairperson of BABTI, told the Sofia Echo. Among them were things like various folk songs, the traditional Nestinari fire-dancers, even the Bulgarian bagpipe, Ivanova said. By and large, the purpose of this campaign is to create a positive image of Bulgaria in the eyes of Europe and the world, she said.

After a careful sorting, it became clear that the symbols may fall into several main categories - Bulgarian culture, history, economy, science, tourism and sports. There were, however, some landmarks that many people preferred as representative of Bulgaria such as the Cyrillic alphabet, the Bulgarian rose, the Madara horseman near Shoumen, the Rila Monastery and Tsarevets medieval fortress near Veliko Turnovo.

Intellectuals and politicians defended one symbol or another on a debate broadcast on the Bulgarian National Television on June 15. Prominent Bulgarian historians naturally backed the historical monuments like Madara horseman and Tsarevets. Deputy Culture Minister Yavor Miloushev insisted that the Cyrillic alphabet has laid the foundation of Bulgarian identity, that it was "our national DNA." Others argued that the rose should be the national symbol because of its deeply rooted traditions that humble the Bulgarian psyche.

Meglena Plougchieva, deputy prime minister in charge of the EU funds said that most people in Europe think of the Rila Monastery when Bulgaria is mentioned.

Accoridng to Violeta Ivanova from BABTI, so far close to 350 000 people have cast their vote as the Cyrillic alphabet seems to prevail over the rest, being also the first choice for most Bulgarians living abroad.

The voting will continue until June 29 and it can be done at www.infobulgaria.info or by calling 02/9830012.

An investigation conducted by the Sofia Echo of the Bulgarian online community revealed that some people instill a great sense of humor in the matter. One of them, Boina slava (Military glory) forum burst with ideas what item should make the top of the list, such as the traditional shopska salad and rakiya brandy.

Someone even proposed as a symbol the national anti-hero Bay Ganyo, the literary character of Aleko Konstantinov's popular 19th-century sketches, and with a proper motto surrounding his image: "No nation has been defeated in its own textbooks."