Photos tagged as thracian

The ancient Thrace city of Perperikon

Perperikon (or Hyperperakion) is situated in the Eastern Rhodopi Mountain range, some 10 miles from the town of Kurdzhali. The roads from Sofia, via Asenovgrad or Parvomay, are good and well maintained. Perperikon is situated on a rocky peak at 1,400 ft altitude above sea level guarded by the village of Gorna Krepost [high castle]. The gold-bearing river Perpereshka flows nearby forming a valley some 7 miles long and 2.5 miles wide. This fertile sheltered place had attracted settlers from ancient times, and today. Dozens of sites clustered around the natural hub of Perperikon reveal layer upon layer of archaeological remains. Just a little further downstream, the Perpereshka flows into the artificial lake of Stouden Kladenets on the river Arda. Where the two bodies of water meet, is the village of Kaloyantsi, a scenic place with some tourist facilities. "In the Eastern Rhodope, near the town of Kurdzhali, a bare rock rises. Legend has it that in the remote past, the peak was called 'the rock home of the Sun God.' Ancient historians claim that somewhere around, high in the mountains stood the shrine of the Thracian God Dionysus—the site where two major prophecies were made that were to leave a mark on world history."

• Date: 15 March 2009
• Photographer: Plamen_yo: gallery
• Location: Bulgaria: gallery
• Tags: landscapes mountains culture history thracian
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