An American tourism website compares Bulgaria's ancient site of Perperikon to Peru's Machu Picchu

On the eve of Christmas, the sacred rock city of Perperikon received yet another major recognition. Following its entry into the top ten most interesting archaeological sites in Europe according to the prestigious British newspaper The Guardian last month, it has now been featured on the pages of the well-known American world tourism website www.islands.com.

• Perperikon has been selected as one of Europe's favourite archaeological sites

Longtime head of the excavations at Perperikon, Professor Nikolay Ovcharov, explained that the article about Perperikon is titled: The 'Machu Picchu Of Europe' Is A Striking Ancient Site More Affordable To Visit Than South America's and it was published on December 20, 2024. The article was written by British journalist S.J. Armstrong, who has been one of the editors of National Geographic Traveler since 2022.

The article by Armstrong has sparked huge interest online and was quickly reprinted by sites such as www.threads.net, www.newsbreak.com, www.tripadvisor.com, and others. Professor Ovcharov cited a passage from the text, noting that Machu Picchu was built only 550 years ago, at the threshold of Europe's early modern period, just as another city in the mountains of Southeastern Europe began to decline. At that time, in the 14th century, Perperikon in the Bulgarian mountains was destroyed, marking the end of its 6,000-year history.

• Archaeologists uncover a complex of dwellings from the 13th-14th centuries at Perperikon (pictures)

The article also highlights that archaeologists believe this is the location of the Temple of Dionysus, where Herodotus described pilgrimages by those seeking an audience with the oracle of the god of wine, added Professor Ovcharov.

***

The ancient Thracian city of Perperikon is located in the Eastern Rhodope mountains, Southerm Bulgaria, 15 km northeast of the present-day town of Kardzhali, on a 470 m high rocky hill, which is thought to have been a sacred place.

The village of Gorna krepost ("Upper Fortress") is located at the foot of the hill and the gold-bearing Perpereshka River flows nearby.

The medieval archaeological complex Perperikon is one of the most ancient monumental megalithic structures, entirely carved into the rocks. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Bulgaria.

As an archaeological site, Perperikon is an 8,000-year-old prehistoric megalithic shrine, which was later built upon by the Thracians, the Romans, the Byzantines, and the medieval Bulgarian Empire.

Latest archaeological discovery at the ancient Thracian city of Perperikon

Exhibition dedicated to Bulgarian ancient city of Perperikon was opened in the European Parliament