A magnificent medieval archaeological complex

Perperikon is located in the East Rhodope Mountain, 20 km northeast from the town of Kardzhali. The rock city stands on a clifftop at a height of 470 meters. The village of Gorna krepost lies at its foot, and the river Perpereshka flows beside it. The comfortable river valley has created conditions of life since ancient times. Therefore the valley is strewn with dozens of archaeological sites from various ages, the center of which is Perperikon.

The medieval archaeological complex Perperikon is one of the most ancient monumental megalithic structures, entirely carved into the rocks. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Bulgaria.

The ancient inhabitants of these lands believed in the Sun God from time immemorial. This is one of the reasons why they settle on the big rock, due to the lack of vegetation and the convenient location, where you can easily watch the rising sun every morning. A little less with the development of tools, the improvement of tools, highly developed during the Bronze Age, gave people the opportunity to work the stone. They began to carve various cult niches, sanctuaries, tombs. Thus Perperikon began to change its natural appearance. In some of the niches were found many votive vessels, joints, antique objects associated with the cult of the Sun God.

During the Late Bronze Age, Perperikon became a spectacular sanctuary. Many facts lead us to believe that the famous sanctuary of the god Dionysus was located in Perperikon.

According to legends, two fateful prophecies were made from the altar of Perperikon. The first predetermined the great conquests and glory of Alexander the Great, and the second, made several centuries later, foreshadowed the rule of the first Roman emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian Augustus.

Perperikon is a unique complex dedicated to the cult of the Sun God. It is a symbol of one of the earliest cultures in our lands. Religion was born there, which was the basis for the development of culture, architecture and knowledge.

Today, the ancient glory of Perperikon rises. The holy city is unique in terms of archaeological, historical, environmental and multi-religious aspects. Many of the artifacts, discovered during archaeological explorations of Perperikon, can be seen in the History Museum in Kardzhali.

The mark of several civilizations

The ancient archaeological complex consists of remains of various time periods. Thracians, Romans, Byzantines and Bulgarians have lived here. Every civilization that’s inhabited Perperikon has left traces of its culture and history.

The name of the religious center comes from the word Hyperperakion which means a huge fire in ancient Greek. In this way was called the golden coin with a great quantity of gold content- minted in Byzantium in 1082. Historians explain the connection between the name of the coin and the rock monument with the local gold deposits. Thracians and later the Byzantine people used to extract gold from mines that recline 2 kilometers from the rocky town. The former name is shortened after the monetary reform. The new one is Perperikon. It is still a mystery how this place was called in the old ages.

The story of the City of Stone begins long time before the Thracians. According to scholars, the oldest traces of human habitation in Perperikon date back to the Neolithic age. Back then people made a cult of rock in every shape. Rocks gave them a natural fortress, a home and a connection to the gods. With the quick development of tools the inhabitants of the place started to shape rock and to transform it into their homes. The progress of the cult conditions during Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age helped for the creation of a spectacular sanctuary.
The impressive finds support the hypothesis that exactly in Perperikon was located the famous fortune tellers place of god Dionysus. During excavations was found a huge altar 6 feet in diameter and hewn straight out of the rock. It’s believed that here Thracians practiced wine and fire rituals. Within ancient Thracians’ believes, the fire dance was in honor of the creator of the world, which was conceived when a woman materialized and gave birth to a son. As a result of their sexual intercourse Orpheus the creator/destroyer of the world appeared. The ancient Thracian cult practice of fire dancing continues in recent days in some Bulgarian regions, under the name Nestinarstvo.

Archaeological finds support the belief that the temple of Dionysus raised also in the City of Stone. Later on an entire splendid complex built around the rock sanctuary. The construction included several floors with a great variety of rooms, hallways, halls and staircases. The spacious throne room will attract your attention. You can sit on a rock-hewn throne and feel the spirit of the place.

In the 5th century Christianity spreaded and the old pagan sites were buried or turned into churches. From VII – XIV century Perperikon flourished as a large administrative and religious center with many buildings and temples. Excavations show that at the foot of the City of stone there was a personal imperial mansion. At the center of Perperikon a church with remarkable decorations was erected. The Bulgarians and Byzantines fought many wars over the town, which finally at the end of the 14th century was conquered and destroyed by the Ottoman Turks and the ruins lay largely forgotten.

The cult of Dionysus was not the only thing that the city was famous for. Another tradition that was deeply rooted in Thracian culture in the Rhodope was the mining of gold, silver and precious stones. One of the largest mines in Antiquity was located near the present-day village of Stremtsi, about a mile and a half from Perperikon. What remains of it are about a dozen entrances and more than 500 metres of galleries. The entire hillside was cut through by a thick network of tunnels and caverns.

Archaeologists keep exploring the City of stone. Perperikon slowly reveals the great quantity of secrets that are kept under its remains. In spite of the fact that nowadays we have some knowledge of its history, it is unlikely we will ever know the entire truth of our predecessors’ civilization. It is possible that thousands of historical treasures are still hidden in the Rhodopes.

Why visit Perperikon?

Fantastic, charging and fresh energy. Historical object, which can be interesting for history lovers. The Architecture of Perperikon is something that you must see.

More to see nearby

Combine your Perperikon visit with a few more sights.
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