Unknown consolidated setllement from the late ancient epoch was found by archaeologists at excavations on the Karaburun hill near the village Banite. The fortress has been built during the 6th century at the foot of older Thrace village. The find of ceramic elements from the late bronze epoch are confirming the thesis that near 1500 years before Christ at Karaburun hill have been placed an sanctuary. As Sanctuary this object is also confirmation about the theory that the sanctuaries are situated at places, where from you can see other one or two other sanctuaries and at the other side the same this places are used with battle and military reasons at later epochs. During the VI century at the top of the hill has been built consolidated settlement with security function around protecting ways and thoroughfares at this area of the Rhodopes, affirms the archaeologists.
Doctor Boyan Domanov from the New Bulgarian University has told that they have been into find of big wall, which is situated at the foot of the hill. She encircle the southern and the southeastern slope, where the hill is most approachable. Second wall, down to the slope and so the frameworks, which the archaeologists are defining as terraces, i.e. the terrain has been terrace-like adjusted for housing construction. The settlement has been existing for about two centuries, with own ceramic manufacture, the find of coins shows clearly that there are rests about trade. At the end of VII century the fortress have been left, without any results for now why.

In reference to the Bulgarian Revival throughout the Bulgarian lands and the generally-accepted division into periods, the region has a number of preserved churches specifically from the Early Period of the Revival (from 1800 through the early 19th Century) in Ivailovgrad and the villages Dolno Lukovo and Mandritza.
These representatives of the early period of the Revival are among the most significant in the region. Taking into account both the lack of any preserved medieval churches and the lack of a hiatus in the development of medieval architectural monuments, these churches are the link that gives comparatively the most accurate idea of the cultural character of the Middle Ages. Reminiscences from it are apparent up to present days.
Many preserved architectural monuments exist in the region, dating back to the second period of the Bulgarian Revival (from the 1830’s thirties to the Crimean War in 1856). These are the typical village churches which are so characteristic for the region. Craftsmen with huge artistic inventiveness built these churches, covering a wide artistic perimeter with their creations. The activity of the artists of the Edirne art circle during that period spread over the Eastern Rhodopes, Sakar and Strandja Mountains. The majority of the temples were built directly after the Crimean War, during the epoch of the Late Bulgarian Revival. This period also saw the human rights of the Christian population of the Ottoman Empire confirmed by the Hatihumaiun in 1856. The struggles of the nation and church were on the rise. Prolific construction of temples in the region started immediately after the war.
The building and the reparation of the temples continued through the 19th Century. This activity continued after the 1920’s.

Ivailovgrad municipality is situated at the most southern part of the Rhodope Mountains, at the border with Greece. To the north and south, its neighboring municipalities are correspondingly Ljubimetz, Madjarovo and Krumovgrad. The altitude varies from 70m to 700m. The relief of the municipality is defined by the flowing curves of low Rhodopes ridges, which gradually transform into vast valleys. The municipal center – the town of Ivailovgrad, which has a population of 4,423 residents, is situated 60km away from the nearest train station, in the town of Ljubimetz, and 110km away from the towns of Haskovo and Kurdjaly.
Continue reading Ivailovgrad Municipality General Information

The Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age were already periods about which mankind has memories. These were the heroic times of the Trojan War described by the great Homer in the 8th - 7th century BC. The Iliad narrates about the Thracians and their leaders, who lived in the present-day Bulgarian lands and fought bravely under the walls of Troy together with the Greek heroes.
Continue reading The Rock People from the Rhodope, Strandja and Sakar Mountains

In Greek legend, Orpheus was the chief representative of the arts of song and the lyre, and of great importance in the religious history of Greece. The mythical figure of Orpheus was borrowed by the Greeks from their Thracian neighbors; the Thracian “Orphic Mysteries”, rituals of unknown content, were named after him.

The name Orpheus itself belongs to the oldest level of Greek names: those ending in -eus (for example, Atreus). Such names are pre-Homeric, thus Orpheus does not occur in Homer or Hesiod, but he was known in the time of Ibycus (c. 530 BC). Pindar (522—442 BC) speaks of him as “the father of songs”.

From the 6th century BC onwards, Orpheus was considered one of the chief poets and musicians of antiquity, and the inventor or perfector of the lyre. By dint of his music and singing, he could charm the wild beasts, coax the trees and rocks into dance, even arrest the course of rivers. As one of the pioneers of civilization, he is said to have taught mankind the arts of medicine, writing and agriculture. Closely connected with religious life, Orpheus was an augur and seer; practiced magical arts, especially astrology; founded or rendered accessible many important cults, such as those of Apollo and the Thracian god Dionysus; instituted mystic rites both public and private; and prescribed initiatory and purificatory rituals.

Continue reading Orpheus The Poet of Rhodope Mountains

Perperikon (or Hyperperakion or Perperakion) is in the Eastern Rhodope range, some 12 miles from the town of Kurdzhali. The roads from Sofia, via Asenovgrad or Haskovo, are fairly good and well maintained. Perperikon is perched on a rocky peak at 1,400 ft above sea level guarded at its foot by the village of Gorna Krepost [high castle]. The gold-bearing river Perpereshka flows nearby forming a valley some 7 miles long and 2.5 miles wide.

This fertile sheltered place had attracted settlers in very ancient times, and today, dozens of sites clustered around the natural hub of Perperikon reveal layer upon layer of archaeological remains. Just a little further downstream, the Perpereshka flows into the artificial lake of Stouden Kladenets on the river Arda. Where the two bodies of water meet, is the village of Kaloyantsi, a scenic place with some tourist facilities.

Below you can see road map of how to get to Perperikon and Izometric drawings of this altar.

Google Earth Placemark - Ancient Thracian city of Perperikon