With Eddie more about him – here, I met him a few years ago, when I don’t know why I decided that I had to climb Mount Veyzen in the Stara Planina mountain range….
I really liked the whole adventure, except for the Echo hut…
For the adventure of Stara Planina and Veen mountain even more Autumn idyll in the Balkan Mountains, It is shared here.
Perperikon and Rodippe
And it wasn't long before I impulsively booked myself on a two-day trip to the Rhodopes with Eduard Blagoev. They are my weakness: soft, high and rounded peaks, dense forests in which wonderful flowers are hidden, a vibrant and jumping world, and history… From time to time.
We set off early in the morning with a Honda. Four tourists and Eddie, our guide. We turned out to be interesting and fun people, each with their own story, from different age groups and generations, but with a common passion: history, nature, and adventure.
Deep in my heart I kept the experience for Perperikon.
Not far from Kardzhali, At about 15–20 km away is the ancient city of Perperikon, with an impressive history that reaches back to prehistoric times.
My reaction when I found the place was:
Why should I spend money to travel around the quarries and mines in nearby and distant countries when a real treasure lies almost right under my nose, some 274 km away?
The object was declared a monument of national importance in 1968.
There is also a website dedicated to the historical Perperikon site, where you can find additional information.
I will show you around the villa…
• It rises on a rocky peak at 470 m above sea level.
• At its foot flows the Perpereskha River, which has been a natural source of moisture for the region since ancient times, as well as a river known for its gold deposits.
• They connect him to Orpheus and the cultic religious rituals of the Thracians. One of the hypotheses identifies it with the famous sanctuary of Dionysus as well. It is assumed that rituals related to the deity, death, and creation were performed there…
• The good location, the wonderful view and the defensive possibilities were appreciated even in ancient times. The place retained its importance until the late Middle Ages.
Today archaeologists discover layer upon layer of traces from different eras. And the remains that have reached us are intertwined with legends like the Lyadians in the films about Indiana Jones.
One of the legends tells that it was precisely in Perperikon
Hidden within the ancient oracle of the god Dionysus lies a famous prophecy. For centuries, researchers have searched for its location. It is believed that its discovery would be an event of immense importance for archaeology.
Information about the sanctuary is scarce. Ancient authors associate it with the Holy Mountain of the Thracians and with the lands of the Satre tribe. However, its exact location remains a subject of scholarly debate.
During the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age on the hill there already existed cult facilities. One of the archaeologists working on the site, Prof. Nikolay Ovcharov, holds the thesis that Perperikon is the site of the famous sanctuary of Dionysus. He refers to archaeological findings and ancient written sources.
Perperek, as they still call him,
It is one of the most significant megalithic complexes on the Balkan Peninsula. It reveals traces of different eras, and the rock city gradually developed into a cult center, fortified settlement, and royal residence.
The sanctuary of the Thracians is located on the very peak. Quite logically, following The Sun и the light. This is a sacred rocky city, a capital and fortress with a royal palace.
The layers reveal traces of the different eras.
The name Perperikon appears in medieval written sources. A fortress was located on the rocky hill, connected to the valley of the river Struma. Perperška river. To this day, the remains of the medieval fortress have been preserved, including the Perperikon tower.
Perperek
Some Bulgarian researchers prefer the name „Perperikon“ and dispute the use of „Perperikon“ as the most historically accurate name. According to one interpretation, the root „per“ is related to a rock, and its doubling in the name “Perperikon” emphasizes the power of the rock peak and the sanctuary.
Perperek is the subject of research by Bulgarian historical science since 1931.
I „discovered“ it for myself in 2016.
It is by no means accidental that the rocky peak on which Perperikon was built was called by the local population „jin tepesi“ (from Turkish) – „The Summit of the Gods“. Yes, the divine is everywhere here. Especially at sunset…
What is unique is that the Thracian sanctuary occupies a mountain massif, in which a large part of the rock surface has been processed by human hands.
At the very top of the hill are located a swimming pool of considerable size for this location, rock thrones and other structures carved into the rock. The pool is 12 × 8 × 6 m in size.
Here, unwillingly, I performed a sacrifice, sitting on the throne and pretending to be a priestess – I broke my sunglasses…
I sat in the spacious rooms and benches carved into the rock.
The so-called well is clearly visible. „Sacred Path“, which leads to a large temple – a room with approximate dimensions of 100 × 10–12 m, carved into the rock of the mountain at a depth of 3 to 4.5 m.
The interior space is designed on three levels. In the eastern part of the temple, a figure of a lion is carved, standing on its four legs.
A significant amount of pottery from the late Eneolithic period has been found in the area of the old finger-pit deposits. These findings testify to a very early human presence on the hill, although the dating of the individual structures must be considered separately.
In the central part of the fortress, a late antique one-nave Christian church has been uncovered.
Prof. Valeria Fol does not share Nikolai Ovcharov’s thesis regarding the location of the sanctuary of Dionysus on Perperikon. She puts forward various hypotheses regarding the location of the ancient sanctuary and the significance of other places in the Rhodopes, including the area of Persecn peak. Here again, „per“ is in the air! According to her, an ancient sacred Thracian road also passed through the area…
The thread between the Thracian era and the 5th century AD is filled with mysticism and speculation. There are even theories about the mysterious disappearance of the inhabitants of the city, which was abandoned for unknown reasons… That might be the case.
During the Middle Ages, according to Prof. Ovcharov, who led the archaeological excavations, Perperikon was an important religious center. Several early Christian churches have been discovered, and the archaeological findings testify to its importance during different periods.
После идват римляни, готи, ромеи и българи
The sacred thousand-year-old city was conquered and destroyed during the Ottoman invasion in the 14th century. According to the prevailing historical version, Perperikon was destroyed in 1362. Plundered and burned. Like many other settlements, its inhabitants probably endured difficult trials.
In 2006 a team of „Around the world and here at home“ It uncovered witnesses who claim that the tombs were looted in the 1990s by modern vandals.
The hill is shrouded in mystery and evokes a poetic quality.
And at sunset, with 100 cabba guides announcing the rocks from a mobile phone and sending the fiery light, one gazes and absorbs the beauty with all their soul.
And you feel close to your ancestors, the gods, nature.
In the heart of the great Rhodopes. Perperikon.
See more for the author Maria Radeva here
