The following cultural - historic site is not included in the UNESCO List. However, the authors of this webpage consider it equal in importance to the above mentioned sites and hope that it will also be valued and included in the UNESCO List.
Perperikon (Hiperperakion, Perperakion) is located in the eastern Rhodope Mountains at a distance of 15 km from the district town of Kardzhali. Perperikon is situated on a rocky hill with a height of 470 m. Along it flows the Perpereshka River, forming a valley of 10m length and 4 m width. The valley and the climate have created favourable living conditions since ancient times.
Millennia ago Perperikon was a huge rocky massif without any vegetation on it. This attracted the people who deified the grandiose rocks. According to archaeological research the earliest traces of life date from the New Stone Age. During XVIII-XII c. B. C. Perperikon had its first zenith. This is the period of the Crete-Mycenaean civilization. At the end of the Bronze Age Perperikon was a big rocky cult complex. Perperikon consists of four parts:
- A powerful fortress - with 2,80m thick walls. The walls are made without any connecting material. The two faces of the fortified walls are formed by massive stone blocks with filling of crushed stones fitting perfectly in the holes between the stones. The wall was built over the sound foundation of the rocks.
- The Acropolis is located at the highest part of the hill. It was built up with many temples and civil buildings.
- The palace - sanctuary - located immediately under the Acropolis.
- The northern and southern suburbs with hewn in the rocks housing buildings and temples. All the buildings of Perperikon impress with their perfect construction. The walls are smoothened with fine chisels forming an ideal vertical line.
The ancient Greek legends tell about the sanctuary of Dionysius in the Sacred Mountain - The Rhodopes. The Greek historian Herodotus and the Roman historian Svetonius Trankvil gave the main information about it. In his description of the temple of Dionysius Herodotus paid a special attention to the oracle in it, which was equal to the fortune teller of Delphi. The sanctuary was located in a big oval hall with no roof, which was necessary because of the nature of the rituals performed inside. According to the scientists there were made at least two important prophecies for the humanity - the one for Alexander the Macedonian and the other for Julius Caesar.
The excavation and the research of Perperikon continue and the hypothesis for the sacred temple of Dionysius may be soon confirmed.
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