Thracian fortress in Asar Kaya area

... from Katerina in Get to know Bulgaria! Visits 9726 17 November, 2020

The Asar Kaya area is located less than two kilometers from the village of Zhenda, Chernoochene municipality, Kardzhali district, Bulgaria. To get there, from the road Asenovgrad - Kardzhali in the village of Komuniga you have to turn of at the sign for the village of Bezvodno. About 9 km after the sign you will reach the village of Zhenda, and about 2 km after the village you will see a stone on the left with a red inscription АСАР КАЯ (you can see it in the photos below). Here is the place where you have to stop to reach the fortress. You have two options for stroll. One is to leave the car here and walk 1.8 km to the fortress, and the other is to reach it by car. The road is black, but passable.

The fortress is located on top of a high rock terrace, which is built of piles of stones, on which you can see many rock niches typical of the region. It was naturally fortified by sheer and inaccessible rocks, and from its most accessible part it was protected by a thick stone wall. It is believed that the place has been sacred since the time of the thracians. Among the rocks you can see altars, carved circles, semicircles, grooves, as well as bizarre shapes of animals, people and birds.

About a hundred meters below the top of the fortress you will see a rock phenomenon in the form of a large mushroom with a height of about 8 meters, on which there are many thracian rock niches. To reach it, you will go through carved stone steps, used since ancient times.

The area is extremely beautiful and with a unique view in all directions. You can see the surrounding villages and peaks. Don't forget to shout "Echo" cheerfully and with high spirits and hear the answer from the mountains. I have never heard such an "echo" elsewhere.

The walk to the Asar Kaya area must be combined with a visit to Thracian rock sanctuary near the village of Nebeska, which is located nearby and can be seen from the fortress.

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Devetashka cave

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