Asara

The Asara hill is situated in immediate vicinity in northeastern direction of the town of Nikolaevo (Southern Bulgaria, Stara Zagora district). An early-Byzantine fortress with three lines of fortified walls raises here. The fortress has once protected the Hainboaz passage. The only fortress in Bulgaria, besides the Asara one, having three lines of fortified walls is Tsarevets in Veliko Tarnovo. The legendary Tsarska dupka (King’s hole) is also located on Asara. Currently it is a filled up entrance to a cave. In the past the cave played the role of a secret exit of the fortress. It allowed reaching the Radova river and even further. The people used to hide their stock in the cave. An early-Byzantine settlement existed in the fields between the Asara hill, the Radova river and the stone bridge. The settlement was called Eshekchii (Magarevo) during the Ottoman yoke.