Hello friends, I soon visited Asen's fortress and took some pictures.
But first a little history.
Asen's fortress is located immediately after the end of Assenovgrad, 20 km from Plovdiv in the direction of Smolyan and 170 km from Sofia. It has an inaccessible and rocky terrain, high above the left bank of the Chaya River, its silhouette stands out because of its dominant position in the area.
Already in the ancient times, the area where today's Assen's fortress is located is appreciated by the Thracians. Information about their settlements on these lands dates back to the 5th-4th centuries. They first understand the importance of location and site security. Later in the Roman and Byzantine ages, there is also life, but for us Bulgarians, the greatest interest is the time when it is part of the borders of Medieval Bulgaria during the time of Tsar Ivan Assen II.
At the beginning of its existence, the fortress was much smaller than the present one and played the role of a tower-fortress guarding the passage from the Aegean to Plovdiv.
Soon, two villages of Petrich and Stasinos were formed here.
The population is growing steadily. The expansion of the fortress, known as Petrchka and as Stamimanos, predetermines the establishment of the town of Stamkos (present-day Asenovgrad) in the 13th century. The other village of Petrich existed somewhere until the 14th century.
Since 1207, the fortress is part of the rulers of Despot Alexius Slav. In 1230 Asen's fortress passed into the hands of Tsar Ivan Asen II. Then, in the wake of circumstances, the fortress passes into the hands of Byzantium. He was eventually gained and annexed to the territory of Bulgaria by Tsar Ivan Alexander.
During the Middle Ages, the fortress underwent various constructive changes, the most serious being the work of Tsar Ivan Asen II. For this reason, she now bears his name. And do you remember my story about the fortress in Krichim and the inscription of Ivan Assen II? A great ruler who left a big mark in Bulgarian medieval history.
source -link
Here are some pictures:
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