Momchilgrad municipality released unique footage a few days ago which went viral on social media. The video, shot using a drone, offers a bird’s eye view of the mysterious medieval fortress Asara in the region of the village of Ralitsa in the Rhodopes.
The remains of the fortress date back to the 11th-12th century. They rise on top of a prehistoric rock sanctuary and a crypt. A trapezoidal sacrificial altar has been hacked out on the fortress site. The ruins of two large towers are still visible that were once connected by a passage hacked out into the rock. In one of the towers there are traces of a residential area and a chapel. Archaeologists discovered precious medallions made of bone that were once elements of a gold-inlaid icon.
Video:
Studies have shown that some of the first attempts at ore-mining in the Balkan peninsula took place right here, in the Eastern Rhodopes. Ore-mining galleries like the ones found at the foot of Asara peak have been discovered in the vicinity of the village of Zvezdel nearby. The peak, where the fortress remains are scattered, commands a breathtaking view of the Eastern Rhodopes and the highest peak in this part of the mountain – Stramni Rid peak (960 m.)
Not far from Asara fortress, Boyalak waterfall rises to a height of some 25 m. The bizarre-looking rocks formed after the waterfall are also well worth seeing.
The Asar fortress in Momchilgrad municipality is not the only fortress of that name in Bulgaria. The word “asar” comes from the Arabic-Turkic “hisar”, “hisarlak” meaning fortress, fortification, pile of stones. That is why there are many fortresses in the Bulgarian lands bearing such names.
More:
Video: Tencho Petkov Photography
Editing by Veneta Nikolova
Translated and posted by Milena Daynova
Pipes from the end of the 17 th , the 18 th and the 19 th century and the tradition of growing tobacco in Bulgaria are presented in the newest exposition at the Museum of Archaeology in Burgas. “Pipes like this are to be found often on the..
In Bulgaria, when we talk about a person with bad luck, we often say: "Ah, what a Marko Totev!" But who exactly was Marko Totev, and how did his name become a byword for a person with ill fortune and a bad luck? "He was a Bulgarian public figure..
30 March marks the end of the most blessed time of the year, as Muslims call the month of Ramadan. This year it started on 1 March, and the most important obligation Muslims have during this 30-day period is to refrain from food, drink and temptation..
Overcast, rain
Partly cloudy, chance of rain
Partly cloudy, chance of snow
Rain / Snow