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Tatul is located in the area of Kaya Bashù, on the southern outskirts of the small eastern Rhodope village of Tatul, about 17 km northeast of Momchilgrad, along the upper course of the Büyuk Dere River (also known as the Golemica), the southernmost tributary of the Arda River. The entire valley of Büyuk Dere, particularly the area to the east of the site near the villages of Nanovitsa, Postnik, Gurgulitsa, Momina Sùlza, and Bivolyane, is very fertile. The hills are not high, and there are wide flat areas between them, with the whole valley opening wide towards the Arda River valley. The immediate vicinity of the archaeological site near Tatul is rich in remains from all historical periods.
The rock sanctuary complex consists, in addition to the two sarcophagi, of a staircase carved into the rock from the east, leading to the main altar—a central place for sacrifices in honor of the Sun God—and to the two graves, a three-meter well, as well as numerous other carved cult platforms, steps leading to them, niches, channels, and basins for collecting liquids. It is believed that these features were formed during the 18th–11th centuries BCE, when the sanctuary experienced its first major flourishing, as evidenced by discovered cult objects—ceramic vessels, spindle whorls, pottery, and bronze items. The sanctuary suffered damage from earthquakes during the 13th–12th centuries BCE. Subsequently, around the 3rd–1st centuries BCE, a protective wall was built around the sanctuary to fortify and defend the cult complex, which included several buildings, one of which is presumed to have been a temple-mausoleum due to its massive and impressive construction, likely taking over some functions of the rock pyramid. The renovated sanctuary probably existed until the mid-1st century CE. During the Roman period, many new buildings were constructed around the sanctuary, and a significant quantity of Roman pottery, jewelry, and household items were discovered. It is believed that the Hellenistic temple and the surrounding buildings were transformed into a fortified Roman villa, inhabited by a wealthy local aristocrat. In the 3rd century, the sanctuary was burned down. A new period of prosperity began in the 9th–10th centuries, during which the remaining renovations to the rock complex were made. The final stage of life on the hill near the village of Tatul is marked by a medieval necropolis (excavated by Ivan Balkanski) with a rich grave inventory—numerous jewelry items, earrings, rings, bronze bracelets, and others. The necropolis has been dated by him to no later than the mid-13th century, marking the end of the millennium-long life of the hill near the village of Tatul.
The first reports about the rock complex near Tatul were provided by the local historian Nikola Ivanov in 1933. In the 1960s and 70s, the rock ensemble garnered serious interest and was visited by many Bulgarian scholars—archaeologists, historians, and epigraphers—who developed the first hypotheses about its nature and purpose, including Prof. Ivan Venedikov and Nikolai Vihodtsevsky.
Archaeological excavations in the Kaya Bashi area began in 1976. They were carried out by Ivan Balkanski, curator at the Regional History Museum in the city of Kardzhali, who determined the site to be a late antique and medieval fortress. During the two campaigns of 1976 and 1977, for which there is data about his work, he managed to excavate a large part of the medieval necropolis inside the site. The studies were resumed in 2004 and continued in 2005 and 2007, under the scientific direction of Prof. Nikolay Ovcharov. In 2022, excavations in the area were renewed after a fifteen-year break, continuing in 2023, funded by the Momchilgrad municipality and again under the scientific direction of Prof. Nikolay Ovcharov, and during these two seasons, archaeologists managed to register a church built in the 5th-6th centuries. and existed until the 11th-12th centuries, with an older monumental building beneath its foundations, probably a pagan temple.
The rock formations are not the tallest in the valley, but they are ideally positioned at its center, possessing visual connections with all surrounding hills and rising above the main road in the area, which follows the river's course, making Tatul so impressive, mystical, and maintaining the legends associated with it.
During Prehistory, Antiquity, and especially in the Middle Ages, the eastern and southern slopes of the hill at Tatul were dotted with architectural complexes, but unfortunately, today this area is covered by dense forest.
Working Hours:
Monday – Sunday: 09:00 – 20:00 (summer)
Monday – Sunday: 09:00 – 17:00 (winter)
Entrance Fees:
Adults: 4 BGN
Seniors and students: 2 BGN
Guided tour: 15 BGN
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