Archeological Complex Perperikon

Overview

Perperek, also called Perperikon, is an early historical, ancient and medieval Bulgarian stone complex in the Eastern Rhodopes, consisting of a large megalithic sanctuary from VI - V millennium BC, monuments of antiquity and a medieval fortress. Among the Thracians, Perperek was a sacred rock city, capital and fortress with a royal palace. Later Romans, Goths, Romans and Bulgarians lived here. The fortress - rock town Perperek is located 15 km northeast of today's town of Kardzhali. It occupies the highest peak (up to 735 m) above the valley, 10 km long and 3-4 km wide (approx. 300-370 m), through which flows the Perperek River, a left tributary of the Arda River - Studen Kladenets Dam. The rock town of Perperek, surrounded on three sides by the river, is located 6 km west of the village of Perperek, 2 km south of the village of Gorna Krepost and 4 km east of the village of Stremtsi. Its area is about 12,000 square meters. The megalithic complex, the largest on the Balkan Peninsula, has an area of ​​5,000 square meters. The sanctuary of the Thracians is located at 470 meters above sea level. Perperek (Perperak) has been the subject of research by Bulgarian historical science since 1931, when the future Prof. Petar Mutafchiev included it in his study "Towards the church-historical geography of Plovdiv". Perperek (Perperak) has been known to the Bulgarian archeological science since 1932, when the future Prof. Ivan Velkov described it, and so the site entered into scientific circulation. In 1938 Perperek together with other famous Bulgarian fortresses became part of the curriculum of Bulgarian schools. Prof. Vasil Zlatarski includes in the general examination of the fortresses in the Rhodopes and Perperek (Perperak) according to the well-known medieval Greek sources in "History of the Bulgarian state", Perperek is one of the hundred national tourist sites in Bulgaria.