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Patmos () is a
Patmos consists of a citadel situated in the southernmost part of the hill, a suburb occupying the northern part of the elevation below the citadel, and another suburb on the western area below the hill. The entire complex and the adjacent suburbs span a territory of 100,000 m2. The citadel of Patmos measures about 115 m in direction north–south and a maximum width of 65 m in direction east–west. It has irregular shape, with the defensive walls following the configuration of the terrain, enclosing an area of about 6,300 m2. The walls enclose the hill from the west and north. It is built of treated stone, joined with white mortar.
The more easily accessible north wall is 1.25 m thick and is reinforced by two towers. The northeast tower is trapezoidal with external dimensions of 5.05x4.22x4.6 m and wall thickness of 0.85 m. It was accessible through an entrance with a width of 1.3 m, which was later walled up. The northwest tower of Patmos is an irregular horseshoe shape. It protrudes in front of the outer side of the wall at a distance of 3.9 m, and the thickness of its walls is 1.3 m. There is a square room in its interior, accessed through an entrance. The distance between the two towers is 12.7 m. After the northwest tower, the walls turn south, forming an arc that runs continuously until reaching the vertical sheer cliffs facing the river Arda to the south.
Within the citadel are the ruins of a large, three-nave, three-apsed church without a vestibule and with a length of 13 m and a width 11.5 m. It is built of treated stones, joined with white mortar. Its walls are partially located on the rock foundation of the hill and have a thickness of 0.75 m. The three naves of the church had separate entrances from the west, with a width of 1.35 m on the central nave and 1.15 m on the side ones. The floor of the building is the leveled rock foundation, partially covered with stone slabs. It was constructed in the 5th century with subsequent reconstructions in the 9th and the 12–14th centuries. The foundation of the church is assumed to the connected with the mission of
medieval
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, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
fortress in the Rhodope Mountains
The Rhodopes (; bg, Родопи, ; el, Ροδόπη, ''Rodopi''; tr, Rodoplar) are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, and the largest by area in Bulgaria, with over 83% of its area in the southern part of the country and the remainder in ...
of southern 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 Macedon ...
rising over a promontory near the confluence of the rivers Arda
Arda or ARDA may refer to:
Places
*Arda (Maritsa), a river in Bulgaria and Greece
* Arda (Italy), a river in Italy
*Arda (Douro), a river in Portugal
* Arda, Bulgaria, a village in southern Bulgaria
* Arda, County Fermanagh, a townland in County ...
and Borovitsa. A few kilometers to the west upstream the valley of the Arda are located the ruins of the fortress of Krivus.
Location
Patmos is located on a hill over the mouth of the river Borovitsa and left bank of the Arda at the westernmost end of the modern Kardzhali Reservoir. The nearest villages are Borovitsa to the south and Doyrantsi to the north, belonging to theArdino Municipality
Ardino Municipality is a municipality in Kardzhali Province, Bulgaria. It includes the town of Ardino and 51 nearby villages.
Demographics
As of December 2018, the municipality of Ardino has 12,792 inhabitants. Only 4,002 inhabitants live in the ...
of Kardzhali Province
Kardzhali Province ( bg, Област Кърджали, Oblast Kărdžali, tr, Kırcaali ili) is a province of southern Bulgaria, neighbouring Greece with the Greek regional units of Xanthi, Rhodope, and Evros to the south and east. It is 320 ...
. The hill dominates the surrounding lands providing visibility in all directions. Its slopes are vertical from the east and the south and steep from the west. The easiest access is from the north. The fortress is on a state-owned land and was declared a site of national importance is 1968.
Description
Patmos consists of a citadel situated in the southernmost part of the hill, a suburb occupying the northern part of the elevation below the citadel, and another suburb on the western area below the hill. The entire complex and the adjacent suburbs span a territory of 100,000 m2. The citadel of Patmos measures about 115 m in direction north–south and a maximum width of 65 m in direction east–west. It has irregular shape, with the defensive walls following the configuration of the terrain, enclosing an area of about 6,300 m2. The walls enclose the hill from the west and north. It is built of treated stone, joined with white mortar.
The more easily accessible north wall is 1.25 m thick and is reinforced by two towers. The northeast tower is trapezoidal with external dimensions of 5.05x4.22x4.6 m and wall thickness of 0.85 m. It was accessible through an entrance with a width of 1.3 m, which was later walled up. The northwest tower of Patmos is an irregular horseshoe shape. It protrudes in front of the outer side of the wall at a distance of 3.9 m, and the thickness of its walls is 1.3 m. There is a square room in its interior, accessed through an entrance. The distance between the two towers is 12.7 m. After the northwest tower, the walls turn south, forming an arc that runs continuously until reaching the vertical sheer cliffs facing the river Arda to the south.
Within the citadel are the ruins of a large, three-nave, three-apsed church without a vestibule and with a length of 13 m and a width 11.5 m. It is built of treated stones, joined with white mortar. Its walls are partially located on the rock foundation of the hill and have a thickness of 0.75 m. The three naves of the church had separate entrances from the west, with a width of 1.35 m on the central nave and 1.15 m on the side ones. The floor of the building is the leveled rock foundation, partially covered with stone slabs. It was constructed in the 5th century with subsequent reconstructions in the 9th and the 12–14th centuries. The foundation of the church is assumed to the connected with the mission of Nicetas of Remesiana
Nicetas (c. 335–414) was Bishop of Remesiana (present-day Bela Palanka, Serbia), which was then in the Roman province of Dacia Mediterranea.
Biography
Nicetas promoted Latin sacred music for use during the Eucharistic worship and reputedly co ...
to spread Christianity among the local population.
North of the church are the remains of a rectangular building with a length of 10.8 m and a width 4 m, built of rubble stone
Rubble stone is rough, uneven building stone not laid in regular courses. It may fill the core of a wall which is faced with unit masonry such as brick or ashlar. Analogously, some medieval cathedral walls are outer shells of ashlar with an inn ...
and joined with white mortar.
Citations
External links
* {{Castles in Bulgaria Castles in Bulgaria Buildings and structures in Kardzhali Province