[6] The relief is similar to the carbon images found in Saltovo, Soulek, Pliska and Veliki Preslav.

[7][9] The motif typically features a caped horseman astride a steed, with a spear poised in his right hand.

[10][11][12] Initially considered (and later abandoned) by Konstantin Josef Jireček and Karel Škorpil, this assumption was gradually rejected because of differences in the iconographic details, and the relation with the animals (there's no dog[9]).

[1][13] Many scholars connect the origin of the relief with the ethnogenesis of the Bulgars, a semi-nomadic equestrian warrior culture from the Eurasian Steppe.

[22] To the west of the building was found evidence of a Christian burial, with a golden decorated belt, dated c. 900 AD.

[22] Three partially preserved texts in Medieval Greek, carved in the rock, can be found around the image of the rider.

[27] A June 29, 2008, official survey on the design of Bulgaria's future euro coins was won by the Madara Horseman with 25.44 percent of the votes.