Asen's Fortress ( bg, Асенова крепост, ''Asenova krepost''), identified by some researchers as Petrich (Петрич), is a medieval fortress in the

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

n Rhodope Mountains, south of the town of

Asenovgrad Asenovgrad ( bg, Асеновград ) is a town in central southern Bulgaria, part of Plovdiv Province. It is the largest town in Bulgaria that is not a province center. Previously known as ''Stanimaka'' (; el, Στενήμαχος), it was ...

, on a high rocky ridge on the left bank of the Asenitsa River. Asen's Fortress is above sea level.Asen's Fortress Elevation and Location
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History

The earliest archaeological findings date from the time of the

Thracians The Thracians (; grc, Θρᾷκες ''Thrāikes''; la, Thraci) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Eastern and Southeastern Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied t ...

, the area of the fortress being also inhabited during the Ancient Roman and Early Byzantine period. The fortress gained importance in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, first mentioned in the statute of the

Bachkovo Monastery The Bachkovo Monastery of the Dormition of the Theotokos ( bg, Бачковски манастир "Успение Богородично", ''Bachkovski manastir'', ka, პეტრიწონის მონასტერი, ''Petritsonis M ...

as ''Petrich'' in the 11th century. The fortress was conquered by the armies of the

Third Crusade The Third Crusade (1189–1192) was an attempt by three European monarchs of Western Christianity (Philip II of France, Richard I of England and Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor) to reconquer the Holy Land following the capture of Jerusalem by ...

. It was considerably renovated in the 13th century (more precisely 1231) during the rule of

Bulgarian tsar The monarchs of Bulgaria ruled the country during three periods of Bulgaria's history as an independent country: from the establishment of the First Bulgarian Empire in 681 to the Byzantine conquest of Bulgaria in 1018; from the Uprising of Ase ...

Ivan Asen II Ivan Asen II, also known as John Asen II ( bg, Иван Асен II, ; 1190s – May/June 1241), was Emperor (Tsar) of Bulgaria from 1218 to 1241. He was still a child when his father Ivan Asen I one of the founders of the Second Bulgarian Empir ...

to serve as a border fortification against

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

raids, as evidenced by an eight-line wall inscription. The foundations of fortified walls—the outer ones being thick and preserved up to a height of , originally high—a feudal castle, 30 rooms and 3 water repositories have been excavated from this period. The best preserved and most notable feature of Asen's Fortress is the Church of the Holy Mother of God from the 12th-13th century. It is a two-storey cross-domed single-naved building with a wide

narthex The narthex is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches consisting of the entrance or lobby area, located at the west end of the nave, opposite the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex ...

and a large rectangular tower, and features mural paintings from the 14th century. The conservation and partial restoration works on the church were finished in 1991 (the whole fortress was left to decay after the Ottoman conquest in the 14th century and only the church remained standing in its original appearance as it was used by the local Christians) and now it is in regular use as a

Bulgarian Orthodox The Bulgarian Orthodox Church ( bg, Българска православна църква, translit=Balgarska pravoslavna tsarkva), legally the Patriarchate of Bulgaria ( bg, Българска патриаршия, links=no, translit=Balgarsk ...

church. Taken by the Byzantines after Ivan Asen II's death, the fortress was once again in Bulgarian hands at the time of Ivan Alexander in 1344 only to be conquered and destroyed by the Ottomans during their rule of Bulgaria. The town of

takes its modern name from the fortress, formerly being named ''Stanimaka''.

Gallery

File:Asens Fortress TB 9.jpg, Part of the walls. File:Asens Fortress TB 4.jpg, Front view of the church. File:Church of the Holy Mother of God of Petrich 2.jpg, Apse view of the church. File:Asenova-fortress-2008-06-01-5.jpg, The church from the ruins of the tower. File:Asenova fortress.png, Plan of the fortress. File:Asen's Fortress view from road.JPG, Asen's Fortress seen from the road to the fortress File:Inside the church at Asen's Fortress.JPG, Inside of the church at Asen's Fortress File:Assen's Fortress inscription.jpg, 8 line inscription outside Asen's Fortress

References

Asen's Fortress - website

3D Virtual Tour - Click here
{{Castles in Bulgaria Asenovgrad Castles in Bulgaria Rhodope Mountains Medieval Bulgarian Orthodox church buildings Buildings and structures in Plovdiv Province Tourist attractions in Plovdiv Province