Medieval rock monastery Dupka by Pope Martin

Overview

The hole of priest Martin is a rock-cut prehistoric cult site in the land of the village of Oreshari, Krumovgrad municipality, Kardzhali district.

This so-called "hole" is carved into a sheer cliff in a hard-to-reach place, which can be reached by a path following the steep terrain. The shape of the entrance was originally trapezoidal with a height of 1 meter and a threshold with a height of 0.06 - 0.07 m. . In the rock opposite the entrance to the tomb, the outlines of strongly eroded trapezoidal niches can also be seen.

The vestibule of the tomb is about 0.4 m long, 1.76 m wide and 1.13 m high, which allows a person to stand only strongly bent after entering through the entrance. A groove with a depth of 0.06 m and a width of 0.12 m has been carved along the entire length of the inner wall of the entrance wall. There are traces proving that the entrance is blocked on the inner side of the entrance wall. There is no wall between the vestibule and the chamber, the opening is asymmetrically placed in relation to it and is located on its long side. This is the only rock tomb carved with much more pronounced edges and vertical walls.

On all walls of the chamber there is a plinth with a height of 0.35 m, which at the east wall (opposite the entrance) is 0.22 m wide, and at the other walls - 0.05 m. The chamber has dimensions - wall length with the entrance opening is 2.7 m, on the opposite west wall - 2.8 m, on the side walls 1.9 m (south) and 1.6 m (north), and the height in the room varies from 1.75 to 1.36 m.

Along the south wall of the chamber is formed a stone bed, which starts from the entrance, where its width is 0.85 m, and at the bottom reaches 0.75 m. Inside the plinth are carved another 0.20 m, where it is formed niche framed by a plinth on the wall with a height of 0.05 m, after a small step in the wall - from a second cycle on the wall with a height of 0.05 m and after a new small step in the wall - from a second plinth (with dimensions 0.04 x 0 , 11 m). This kind of small niche may have served as a shelf for a small object.

In the plinth in the middle of the east wall is carved a miniature staircase with five steps, 3 of which are in the plinth itself, and 2 - in the wall above it. The steps themselves are carved in a niche pre-cut in the wall with a width of 0.25 m and a height of 0.8 m.

This symbolic ladder leads to a three-tiered niche with a quadrangular shape (1.3 m long, 0.65 m high and 0.04 m deep). The upper wall of the niche follows the curve of the arch, and the second stage of the niche follows the curve of the arch. The second stage of the niche is triangular with a base of 1.18 m, height 0.62 m and depth of 0.54 m. This triangular niche is arched, and at the bottom the arch rests on its floor. In the northern wall of this second niche there is another niche, the vault of which is kiln-shaped.

The base of the inscribed geometric figures rectangle, inscribed triangle and re-inscribed triangle is the same. In this three-level niche, an object can be placed in front of the eyes of those entering the chamber. According to the hypothesis of Prof. Ivan Venedikov, a funeral urn could have been placed in this niche, but it is also possible that only funeral gifts were placed there.

The scheme and purpose of this object remains a mystery. According to Prof. Valeria Fol, the definition of the monument as a tomb is inappropriate - the room is carved for ritual actions of another type with sacred objects in different positions relative to each other.