The Batkun Fortress

Batkun Fortress is dated back to the early Byzantic as the stronghold with its town was a main strategic, administrative and cultural centre in Pazardjik region during the rough Medieval Ages. Standing on the middle of the North Slope of Karkariya Hill, the stronghold had optimum strategic location with a revealing to the lowland spacious panorama. Probably through Batkun, in direction to Peshtera and Nevrokop and down to the valley of the Struma River the troops of Philip and Alexander Makedonsky marched. Because of this fact there are several attempts to locate the famous nearby temple of Dionisiy built by the Bessies. The stronghold of Batkun was built on a flat terrain inclining to northeast. The stronghold wall surrounded an oblong-polygon-shaped place of 22 decares. On its four corners there were circle towers. The stronghold wall (4.8m thick) consisted of three walls. The construction was of crushed stones linked with red mortar. Two churches were discovered inside. The stronghold had underground entrances – canals and water – main. In 1189 Byzantines and crusaders of the Third crusade fought here. Ivanko who used it as headquarters ruled the stronghold and he led his soldiers against Byzantine conquerors from here. In 1199 there was a battle between the Bulgarian army, led by Ivanko, and the Byzantine army, led by Mihail Kamitza. The Bulgarians defeated them and the Byzantine leader was captured. It is thought that in the time of Turkish conquest plenty of strongholds were destroyed and among them the stronghold of Batkun, the biggest and probably the most dangerous in the district of Pazardjik. Today, there is just one wall of the stronghold left.

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