There is hardly a person in the country who does not associate Kardzhali with Perperikon. Over the years, the rock city of the Thracians has become an emblem not only of the regional city, but also of the region and focuses the attention of tourists from near and far.
Archaeological complex Perperikon, the largest megalithic monument in Bulgaria, is 18 km from Kardzhali. It consists of a fortress at the top, the Acropolis; a fortified Palace-sanctuary, as well as a northern and southern suburb.
Prof. Nikolay Ovcharov’s team and the Regional History Museum have been studying the layers of history left over the centuries by more than one civilization for more than 20 years.
Thus, over the years, Perperikon became the emblem of Kardzhali and a focus of tourism.
Dozens of premises are located on an area of several thousand square meters. Among them, undoubtedly, one of the most impressive is the palace-sanctuary. There is no tourist who passes the palace throne and fails to immortalize in a photo his experience of this energetic place. The northwestern part of the complex is occupied by a monumental, oval-shaped room without a roof. In the very center is carved a pyramidal pedestal, ending with a majestic circular altar. This hall was the heart of the famous sanctuary of Dionysus-Zagrei, in which the so-called oracles, according to the testimony of Herodotus. Here, according to Suetonius’ account, Octavian’s father Augustus received a prediction about his son’s future. The author tells that when the priest poured the wine on the burning fire, the flame rose as high as when Alexander the Great was in the sanctuary centuries ago, according to the information on the page of the Regional History Museum in Kardzhali.
In recent years, significant parts of the fortress at the top – the Acropolis – have been studied. Particularly monumental is the South Gate, which is carved into the monolithic rock. The early Christian church, built on top of a pagan temple, cannot be missed. The walk along the rock-cut street, with an elegant colonnade, leading to the so-called A small palace awakens the tourist’s imagination.
An impressive facility is the Citadel. The earliest one-nave church, with elegant proportions and an exquisite stone pulpit, is associated with the mission of Bishop Nikita Remesianski, who imposed Christianity in the Rhodopes.
The fortress retained its importance even in the Middle Ages.
In 1339, in a letter of the Ecumenical Patriarch, Perperikon was designated as the center of a bishopric with significant possibilities.
If one listens with his heart, he might even hear the epic battles of the fall of Perperikon to the Turkish invasion.
After him, the fortress probably retained its functions for some time, and the population of the surrounding villages was Christian until the middle of the 17th century and performed duties in the protection of the passage along the river.
Over the years, the monument has evolved. The municipality of Kardzhali manages it. One of the latest projects that is being worked on and nearing completion is “Perperikon – Home of Gods and Men”. Its completion is coming soon. “This is a fairly large-scale project worth almost BGN 10 million, which was launched in November 2020 and should be completed in July this year,” Deputy Mayor Daniel Delchev announced. The activities are carried out in three stages. In the various stages, restoration and conservation activities of buildings from the archaeological complex, construction of footbridges and observation decks, as well as comprehensive socialization of the monument were carried out. In the last stage, installation of lighting and video surveillance of the archaeological complex is planned. As an immovable cultural asset of national importance, all activities related to the monument are coordinated with the National Institute for Immovable Cultural Heritage (NINKN).
