PHOTO: Slava Georgieva 41°42'54.74"С 25°27'53.17"В

Древний город Перперикон расположен на скалистом пике восточной части горного массива Родопи в 20 км к северо-востоку от города Карджали на высоте 1400 футов выше уровня моря. Тысячи лет назад Перперикон был массивной лысой скалой. Доисторические люди выбрали эту гору для исполнения религиозных обрядов. Сначала они поклонялись огромным камням, позже научились их обрабатывать и использовать для защиты и прибежища. Потом сюда пришли фракийцы. После исследования древних карт ученые обнаружили, что Перперикон на фракийском языке назывался Пергамон – цитадель на вершине. Первое название легендарной Трои было также Пергамон. До сих пор историки спорят, Перперикон и Пергамон – это разные города или один? Самые ранние следы человеческой цивилизации, обнаруженные в Перпериконе, датированы последним неолитическим периодом – 6–5-ми тысячелетиями до нашей эры. В естественных щелях утеса были обнаружены остатки неолитической глиняной посуды.

The ancient Thracian city of Perperikon is located in the Eastern Rhodopes, 15 km northeast of the present-day town of Kardzhali, Bulgaria, on a 470 m high rocky hill, which is thought to have been a sacred place. The village of Gorna Krepost is located at the foot of the hill and the gold-bearing Perpereshka River flows near it. Perperikon is the largest megalith ensemble in the Balkans. It is thought that the famous sanctuary and oracular shrine dedicated to Sabazios (similar to Greek Dionysus) of the Bessi was situated there. A visitor centre is being constructed at a cost of 2.4 million Euros. Human activity in the area dates back to 5000 B.C. The first traces of civilization on the hill date from the Bronze Age, while the ceramics found on the place date from the Early Iron Age, as well as the impressive round altar, almost 2 m in diameter, hewn out of the rocks. Medokos had called himself king of Thrace after Sitalces's death but failed to become one.He was at the time based at Perperikon that was a 12 days journey from the sea. At the time of the Roman Empire, a giant multi-story palace was erected according to archeological evidence, and an imposing with its size fortress was built around the hill, with walls as thick as 2.8 m. Temples and quarters of residential buildings were also constructed in the fortress. The megalith complex had been laid in ruins and reerected many times in history.