Perperikon

Perperikon (or Hyperperakion or Perperakion) is in the Eastern Rhodope range and is located 20 kilometres north-east of the town of Kudjali in Southern Bulgaria. This archaeological ensemble is typical for its rich stratigraphy, with the earliest discovered strata dating to the Iron Age. The fortification, which was built in antiquity, had been continuously developed and reconstructed through the Middle Ages: documents from the 13th and 14th centuries mention it under the name of Hyperperikon. The Fortress is located on a broad and not very high rocky hill, with the citadel erected on the summit. The site of the castle is immediately below, and the substructure is located on the lower flat terrace. In the valley, beneath the Fortress, the remains of a mediaeval monastery were discovered, which, according to existing data, had been an important religious-worship and military centre. The latest archaeological excavations at Perperikon revealed a site almost literally described by the ancient authors as the Temple of Dionysus in Mount Rhodope. A huge hall was carved into the rock and apparently left roofless, judging by the absence of holes for any roof beams in the surrounding rock walls. At the very centre of this open space, a magnificent round altar was sculpted from the rock. Northeast of the altar, an almost square platform must have served some ceremonial purpose. Fragments of smaller, clay alters were found at the foot of the central one.