The
Holy town of Perperikon
The
holy carved in the rocks ancient town of Perperikon
is one of the marvels of the world. It is situated in
the Eastern Rhodopes mountain, about 10 miles away from
the town of Kardzhali. The religious activity of the
rock hill has began during the 5th century and has been
connected with the cult of the people from Stone - Bronze
age to the God-Sun. They have created the first sanctuary
and have put utensils with food to the Gods. These religious
rites have continued during the whole Bronze age (3-2
centuries BC). By improving of metal tools it has been
possible the hard rock to be cut. Just then an oval
hall was formed and the big round altar in the center.
Their priests made the sacred rituals with wine and
fire. Namely those practices were typical for the temple
of Dionysius, long time searched in the Rhodopes mountain.
The last archaeological discoveries clear point that
it was situated on Perperikon. During the last millennium
of the old and first centuries of new era, the rock
equipment were spread and were turned into a city with
fortress walls, palaces and buildings. Possibly there
was situated the King's residence of the Thracians –
bessies, later the Romans brought on Perperikon their
luxury and fine taste, and the cruel tribe of Goti have
destroyed and reduced to ashes Perperikon in 378.
At
the beginning of 5-th century, right after in the Rhodopes
was accepted Christianity, the rocky town became episcopal
centre. In 7-14-th centuries Perperikon flourished as
district centre. Many times wars were led for it between
Bulgarians and Byzantines. At the end of 14-th century
Osman Turkish have conquered and destroyed the fortress,
which ruins step by step sink into oblivian. Presently
the old fame of Perperikon revives thanks to the latest
discoveries of the archaeologists. The sacred town is
an unique combination of nonpareil in archaeological,
historical, natural and multi-religious aspect.
Middle Ages Fortress
“Monyak”
It
is situated 4 km. away from town of Kardzhali near village
of Shiroko pole. It is one of the fortresses that are
higher situated in the Rhodopes mounatin with protection
area over 50 decares. It has had a main strategical
meaning because has kept the passage Zhelezni vrata
and the Middle Ages town, situated around the church
„Saint Yoan Precursor“ in Kardzhali.
The Thracian sanctuary
at village of Tatul (Momchilgrad area)
It
is situated 15 km. Eastern direction from the town of
Momchilgrad. It is the second importance megalith complex
in the Eastern Rhodopes after Perperikon. According
to archaeologists there Thracian people moved human
oblations to the God-Sun. The bodies of the carried
in oblivion were lay in stone sarcophagus, that may
be seen on the top of the sanctuary. Beside that there
is cut cracks for observation the rising and setting
of Sun in definite days. Even today on the day of winter
sun position, the Sun rises in specially cut rocky crack.
The Rock Womb at Nenkovo
This
amazing structure was discovered in 2001 and it is situated
some 24 km from Kardzhali. It is high in the mountain,
in a wild, rocky area above the Borovitza hut. The temple
is shaped like the opening to a vagina. It leads into
a cave deep about 22 m. A human hand shaped it into
a place of conception constantly washed by water seeping
through the walls. At the deep far end of the cave,
a carved altar symbolises the womb itself. At midday
as the sun approaches its highest point in the sky,
its light seeps into the cave through a special opening
in the ceiling and projects a perfectly recognisable
representation of a phallus onto the floor. As the sun
progresses further, and the light slants across the
interior of the cave, the phallus grows longer, reaching
out to the womb altar. Only during some months of the
year, when the sun is lowest on the horizon, the phallus
becomes long enough to reach the altar and symbolically
fecundate the womb. |
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