Perperikon
The archeological complex Perperikon is situated 15 kilometers away from Kurdjali town. The layers of history here reveal their secrets to historians every day. Experts have been working over this complex for several years and the forecasts are that in the future the place will also be in the center of archeological attention. The fortress was built on the remains of an ancient Thracian sanctuary, as it has been for centuries the holiest place for worship in these lands. The complex includes a fortress wall, an acropolis and a dwelling complex. Historical pieces of information about the place dwell on its magnificence during antiquity, during the time of Cretan Mycenaean civilization and they also mention the unique stone palaces and buildings constructed without any metal. Later on, during the time of the Emperor Justinian, the fortress was restored and additionally fortified, but soon after that Slavs came to live in these lands and the place was in decline and the fortress has lost its importance for several centuries. After the Byzantine Empire regained its territories, during IX century Perperikon was already a district center of the East and Central Rhodopi mountain. There was new heyday in the development of this fortress during XIII century, when the administrative reform in Byzantium made it a center of the new administrative district Achridos. According to historians during the period XIII-XIV century, there was bustling life in this fortress and at that time it was an important cultural and economic center in this part of the Rhodopi mountain. Since the middle of XIV century, it has also become a center of bishopry. Most probably during the second half of XIV century the conflicts in these lands had a negative impact on the development of Perperikon and like many other fortress in the region it was in decline and was never restored again. Till XVI-XVII century, most of the population in the region was Christian, but during XVIII century many Ottoman Turks came to live here and changed substantially the ethnic image of this area.
History
Perperikon is an archeological complex, consisting of a big megalithic sanctuary, a holy town and a fortress. It is supposed that this is the well-known sanctuary of Dionysos built by the Thracian tribe Satri, whose pagan priests were called besi. Perprikon is located in the Eastern Rhodopi mountain, 15 kilometers away from present-day Kurdjali town, at a rocky peak, whose height is 470 meters above sea level. Gorna krepost village is situated at its foot and the river Perperishka runs near it and this river flows into the nearby dam “Studen kladenets”. Archeological sites from different epochs are located along the river and they are situated around the natural center Perperikon. Perperikon consist of four main parts, which form a perfect architectural composition from the New Stone Age and here you will see:
- A powerful fortress wall.
- An acropolis-built of big stone slabs and located at the highest part of the hill.
- A palace- built in the rocks and having a total area of 10 000 square meters.
- Northern and southern suburbs-these are small streets in the rocks, dwellings and temples.
According to data from the latest archeological researches, the earliest traces of life here date from the late New Stone Age, which means the end of VI century and the beginning of the V century B.C. Then, people could not use rock material due to their primitive tools. For this reason, archeologists have discovered fragments of Neolithic ceramics on the surface of rocks and their sediments are in natural cracks. According to the Bulgarian professor Alexander Fol, this archeological complex was named after the god of stone Per. The next established historical period is the Chalcolithic period, also known as the Eneolithic period and it lasted till the end of the V century and the beginning of IV century B.C. The roughly hewn pits in the rocks and the broken cult ceramics for sure date back to this period of time. The developed of the rocky complex continued also during the Bronze Age. We can say for sure, that during its late phase XVIII-XII century B.C., Perperikon experienced its first big heyday. It was the age of the Cretan Mycenaean civilization, of Troy and Mycenae. During XIII-XIV century A.C., the fortress was a district center and a center of bishop’s activities in Byzantium. After year 1346, the fortresses in the Eastern Rhodopi mountain were destroyed and have never been restored again. The many archeological findings are a serious reason for us to state the hypothesis, that the famous in the antiquity sanctuary of the ancient god Dionysos was located exactly in Perperikon, as archeologists have been trying to find it for a whole century. There was a combination of a wine ritual and a fire ritual on a special altar and people then judged about the power of prophecy by the height of flames. The Roman historian Svetonii Tranquil wrote one of the main articles, giving information about on the Rhodopi sanctuary of Dionysos. His composition “The Twelve Caesars” deals with the prophecy made by the father of the first Roman Emperor Octavian August and this father has prophesied that his son would become a master of the whole world and a omen for that were the high flames during the offering of a sacrifice on the altar. When dwelling on the campaign of the Persian ruler Xerxes against Hellenes during year 480 B.C., Herodotus also mentions the sanctuary of Dionysos, which”… was located at high mountain top. The Thracian people Besi made prophecies in this temple; there was also a prophetess exactly as it was in Delphi, nothing different.” Herodotus has never visited the central part of Thrace and his geographical designations are often inaccurate. In our case, he says that the temple was located behind snow-capped mountains and at a high peak. For this reason, modern scientists think that the sanctuary was located in the high areas of the Western Rhodopi mountain. We must also mention the fact that you can see the Aegean Sea from the high ridge of the Sothern Rhodopi mountain-the ridge name is Gyumyurdjinski Snejnik. The parts of Central and Eastern Rhodopi are located behind it and these areas are convenient for modern life. These areas are full of many archeological monuments dating from different ages. Undisputedly, the holy rocky town Perperikon is of great importance in this regard, as it is the biggest megalith in the Balkans and in Europe. The Roman era is the time when Perperikon experienced heyday, but this heyday ended with the invasion of the Goths, who ruined towns and villages during the second half of IV century. Archeological findings show that then Perperikon town was captured and burned down. But the town was re-built yet during V-VI century A.C. The Byzantine Empire could win a crucial war against barbarians, regained its strength and gradually started restoring the borders of the Roman Empire. During the reign of the emperor Justinian the Great (527-565 A.C.), the Byzantine empire could conquer many of the territories, which have belonged to the Roman empire. The same Byzantine emperor completed colossal construction, restoring and re-building ancient towns and fortresses. Then, the fortress walls of Perperikon were repaired and later new ones were built, strengthening the defense of the acropolis from the vulnerable western direction. At that time, the town infrastructure functioned again. Christianity, which became popular in these lands after V century, has also left its mark here. The basilica in the acropolis was converted in a church, as the necessary apsis was added to the east. At that time, Christian temples were also built in the vicinity of Perperikon town. Other invaders came from north and south-east-Slavs and Arabs. The territory of the Byzantine empire again was reduced, as its very existence was threatened. There was widespread decline and desolation in these lands at that time. At the beginning of the 7 century, the newly-built fortification system was literally abandoned. This was also the fate of Perperikon. Life in this town did not disappear, but the existing at that time settlement was a pale copy of past grandeur. However, the holy rocks here became a place of worship for another nation. During 7 century A.C., proto-Bulgarians led by their chieftain Kuber, were settled in the vicinity of Thessaloniki by the Byzantine emperor. Just like Thracian people, proto-Bulgarians in their religion deified rocks, emphasizing their importance. The tribe of the chieftain Kuber has left several groups of graphite paintings on the southern slopes of the Rhodopi mountain, as they are very similar to the images, discovered in north-eastern Bulgaria. The discovered graphite paintings in Perperikon may be related to them. All of them are associated with cults-the symbolic game “dame” and the ritual depiction of female sexual organs. May be, the latter are associated with the cult for the Turkic goddess of fertility Umay, whose image was depicted by the help of a sharp tool at the highest part of Perperikon. As things improved in the Byzantine empire during IX century, there was bustling activity at the foot of Perperikon, where the district center of Eastern Rhodopi area was located at that time. The fortress gained new importance during XIII-XIV century, when the new administrative district Achridos was created. During year 1339, it was mentioned as a bishop’s center in a letter addressed to the Ecumenical Patriarch’s office and obviously, it has separated from the old bishop’s district Achridos. The data from archeological exacavations show that during XIII-XIV century, there was bustling life in the fortress Perperikon. It did not have any shine, typical of antiquity, but as of great importance as a medieval center. A new church was built on the remains of the late antique temple in the acropolis, as the church was made only of dressed stones, connected by the help of strong white lime mortar. There was a big necropolis nearby, giving us an idea about the large number of the population. At that time, new living quarters were built and the old streets were partially used. Experts have discovered a lot of ceramics, objects and coins dating from that time, as the silver coins of the Bulgarian king Ivan Alexander are very interesting, as they register his short reign in Perperikon during year 1343. The civil war of 1341-1346 destroyed the fortresses in Eastern Rhodopi area and they have never been restored again. Obviously, such was also the fate of Perperikon. But according to a discovered Turkish register for the period year 1626-1627, the population in the settlements below Perperikon continued to be Christian. The active Muslim colonization after XVII century changed substantially the ethnic image here.
Legends
The name of the ancient god Dionysos is associated with Peperikon, as people say the following legend about him: “Long time ago, when gods were still living among people, Zeus fell in love with the beautiful Samela. The little Dionysos was born from their love. After Zeus the Thunderer blessed his child, it was born nice and was the merriest of all gods. Dionysos walked around the earth, accompanied by many satyrs with goat hoofs and by many beautiful menads and he taught people how to grow grapes, making from them strong wine.” Thus, the holidays in his honor appeared later on: the so-called Orphic mysteries, as they were performed only by dedicated people and these were only single men. They were called a-bii, which means not vital, because they did not lead normal and ordinary life. Mysteries were performed in closed societies and at secret places, which were not accessible to other people-usually these places were caves and rocks, which are abundant in Eastern Rhodopi area, in the Strandja mountain and in Sakar mountain. These mysteries were accompanied by choir songs and mimic games. Their culmination was the symbolic death of the king-priest, likened to the tearing to pieces of Dionysos by Titans and also the symbolic inception of the goddess-mother, giving life. The first scene was performed through the bloody sacrifice of a bull, a horse, a goat and sometime people were sacrificed. The inception scene was performed by the mass copulation of men and women. Later on, Orphic mysteries were enacted by boisterous Bacchanalian people in honor of the god of wine and merriment Dionysos.
