Asenova fortress in Bulgaria
Rating: 8,2/10 (2544 votes)  Asenov Fortress is a medieval fortress located in the Rhodope Mountains, on a hill near the Chepelarskaya River. According to archaeological finds, the first settlement on this territory existed in the days of the Ancient World. For the first time the fortress was mentioned in the charter of the Bochkovsky monastery in X century. During the Third Crusade of Assenov, the fortress was captured. During the reign of Ivan Asseni II in 1231, the fortress was rebuilt. Then the walls reached a height of 12 meters, and in width – 3 meters. Today, only three reservoirs and thirty rooms have survived from the fortress. In the XII-XIII century, the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built here, which has also survived to our time. The church was decorated with frescoes dating back to the XIV century. After the death of Assenia II, the fortress was captured by Byzantium, and in 1344 it was conquered by the Bulgarian king John-Alexander. After a while, the fortress was conquered by the Turks. During the Ottoman period, the fortress was abandoned, only the church continued to function. In 1991, restoration work was carried out in the fortress.    We also recommend reading Cherven Fortress in Bulgaria Topic: Asenova fortress in Bulgaria. |
