Helis

Thracian town of Helis is located in the archaeological reserve Sboryanovo in the village of Sveshtari near Isperih, Razgrad. The city is known as a "fortress near the water plant". Fortified with powerful stone walls the city was founded in the last decades of the fourth century. B.C. and occupies an area of ​​90,000 square meters. It was a powerful trade and manufacturing center in the fourth and first half of III BC. and declined in the second half of the III century B.C. The Thracian king Dromihet held in captivity king of Macedon, Lysimachus (manager of the Thrace after the death of Alexander the Great of Macedonia). The ancient chronicler Diodorus separated Helis from the other walled points which he qualifies as "fortresses" while only Helis retains the status "city". It is very likely that Helis was the primary residence of Dromihet, the political center to the Getic powerful tribal alliance that was led by him. The largest collection of amphora stamps from the Hellenistic period in Thrace was found there - evidence of active contacts with the Hellenistic world, its importance as an important political and economic center. There were workshops for the processing of iron, ceramics production and bone objects, jewelry tools, ingots of silver and gold. In homes with stone foundations clay altars called eschara were found. An inscription to the goddess Phosphoros was found in the southern port city carved in Greek. (Photo: wikimapia.org)

Location