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Perperikon - Bulgaria Travel Blog
March 23, 2023
The holy city of Perperikon in the Eastern Rhodopes is one of the oldest settlements in the world, from the age of Troy and Mycenae. Some even call it the European Machu Picchu. Thracians, Romans, Byzantines and Bulgarians have all inhabited these lands.
Each of the civilizations that inhabited Perperikon left its cultural and historical marks. The region was a prosperous one thanks to the Perperishka River located nearby, as well as the fertile soil, the gold deposits and the natural defense provided by the cliffs.
According to the historians, the earliest signs of life in Perperikon date from the Neolithic. Ever since then the people have deified the rock massifs which were a natural defensive line, a home and a place to commune with the gods. With the appearance and perfection of tools the ancient inhabitants of the area started working on the rocks, forming entire rooms in them. The development of Perperikon continued in the Bronze Age.
For the Thracians, the megalithic complex was a holy place where religious rituals and sacrifices were performed. This is evident by the numerous carved pits in the rocks with varying shapes and sizes, which can also be seen in other Thracian holy sites (Belintash, Karadzhov Rock, the Kamentiza area around Starosel, etc.)
The City of Stone is also believed to have housed the Temple of Dionysius - the most important god in Thracian culture, later adopted by Greek mythology. In time, a whole palace complex formed around the stone temple. It had several floors with different spaces - rooms, corridors, halls, staircases. You will also see the spacious throne room, containing a throne carved in the stone, where the high priests sat.
Rituals with fire and wine, as well as sacrifices were carried out in the palace.
Apart from a rich Thracian cultural heritage, the Stone City also contains remnants of a fortified wall, a water reservoir and a tower. Another find in this part is an early Christian church with a unique altar whose original is stored in the Kardzhali history museum.
Perperikon's prosperity continued through the Roman and Byzantine age and the Middle Ages as well. It is hard to track and describe all the cultural layers hidden in the rocks of the ancient stone city. Archeologists continue to explore and to add to the legend of Perperikon - a city not quick to divulge its secrets.
The holy city of Perperikon in the Eastern Rhodopes is one of the oldest settlements in the world, from the age of Troy and Mycenae. Some even call it the European Machu Picchu. Thracians, Romans, Byzantines and Bulgarians have all inhabited these lands.
Each of the civilizations that inhabited Perperikon left its cultural and historical marks. The region was a prosperous one thanks to the Perperishka River located nearby, as well as the fertile soil, the gold deposits and the natural defense provided by the cliffs.
According to the historians, the earliest signs of life in Perperikon date from the Neolithic. Ever since then the people have deified the rock massifs which were a natural defensive line, a home and a place to commune with the gods. With the appearance and perfection of tools the ancient inhabitants of the area started working on the rocks, forming entire rooms in them. The development of Perperikon continued in the Bronze Age.
For the Thracians, the megalithic complex was a holy place where religious rituals and sacrifices were performed. This is evident by the numerous carved pits in the rocks with varying shapes and sizes, which can also be seen in other Thracian holy sites (Belintash, Karadzhov Rock, the Kamentiza area around Starosel, etc.)
The City of Stone is also believed to have housed the Temple of Dionysius - the most important god in Thracian culture, later adopted by Greek mythology. In time, a whole palace complex formed around the stone temple. It had several floors with different spaces - rooms, corridors, halls, staircases. You will also see the spacious throne room, containing a throne carved in the stone, where the high priests sat.
Rituals with fire and wine, as well as sacrifices were carried out in the palace.
Apart from a rich Thracian cultural heritage, the Stone City also contains remnants of a fortified wall, a water reservoir and a tower. Another find in this part is an early Christian church with a unique altar whose original is stored in the Kardzhali history museum.
Perperikon's prosperity continued through the Roman and Byzantine age and the Middle Ages as well. It is hard to track and describe all the cultural layers hidden in the rocks of the ancient stone city. Archeologists continue to explore and to add to the legend of Perperikon - a city not quick to divulge its secrets.
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