Traveler's Guide

East Macedonia & Thrace

Medieval fortress Asara - village of Zvezdel

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The fortress was built during the 11th -12th century and had a well defendable location. It was built on a rock sanctuary with a rock tomb dating back to the middle of the 13th century BC to the 7th -6th BC. The fortress was guarded by two rectangular towers to the west and east while to the north and south it was surrounded by a wooden palisade. To the east was one of the two square towers, which guarded the gate of the fortress. The lower floor served as a water tank, the bottom of which was coated with a hydrophobic pink mortar. A layer of 20 cm of purified sand was also found. It was used to filtrate the water. In one corner, the floor is lower than the other so that precipitation is possible. Almost all of the fortress walls are made of wood, which is rare in our country. The connection between the two towers was a rock passageway. In one of the towers there was a chapel from which remnants of murals were found. The fort served to guard the mine, in which gold and silver was mined. The most valuable finding in this study was an icon, which was decorated with gold facing. Medallions of bone are among the findings. Some of them are presented in the Regional History Museum in Kardzhali. It is believed that the fortress was captured during the Bulgarian-Byzantine wars of 1205-1207. With its strategic location, excellent visibility and inaccessibility, Asara had a leading role in Byzantium in its control over Eastern Rhodopes. Asara shows spectacular views of the lake and the village of Studen Kladenets. The place is nice for tourism.


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