Archaeologists in Search for Largest Early Christian Monastery in the Rhodope

Bulgarian archaeological expedition at the ancient Thracian city of Perperikon (near the city of Kardzhali, South Bulgaria) will try to find the largest Early Christian monastery in the Rhodope Mountains, Professor Nikolay Ovcharov, the leader of the research, said on 28^th of June.

Over a period of three months, more than a hundred people - scientists and workers – will make efforts to uncover several buildings which are located next to the large Early Christian basilica, discovered in 2016 at the foot of the rock city of Perperikon.

The Basilica was built in the second half of the 5th century AD and is of monumental size. Around it, there are walls of many massive buildings and this makes archaeologists believe that they have come upon one of the largest early Christian monasteries in this part of present-day Bulgaria.

On the first day of the excavations, archaelogists unearthed stone columns, many Byzantine coins and a lead seal of a medieval bishop. They have also found a mysterious room with a circular shape that continues to a great depth in the rocks. The aim of the team is to discover the Early Christian monastery this summer and to partially restore it next year.

Prof. Nikolai Ovcharov, archaeologist: This basilica, with several columns which survived, with many pieces of stone decoration and with original elements allows restoration to a significant height.

The ancient Thracian city of Perperikon is located in the Eastern Rhodopes, 15 km northeast of the present-day city of Kardzhali, Bulgaria, on a 470 m high rocky hill,

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.

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