Monyak Peak and Fortress (Monek)

The medieval fortress and Mount Monyak (Monek, Manyak) are located about 11 km from the town of Kardjali, next to the village of Shiroko Pole, above the Studen Kladenets dam.

Climbing Mount Monyak (586 m) is worth it for the incredible view you will be able to enjoy. The steep cliffs, which are also inhabited by vultures, the Studen Kladenets dam, the town of Kardzhali and the enchanting Eastern Rhodopes are part of what will delight your eyes from the top.

From Monek you can also see Visegrad Fortress.

The trail to the top is well marked. In the summer, bring plenty of water as there are sections where there is no shade.

The history of the fortress guarding the peak for centuries is just as captivating and enchanting as the view from the high rocks. According to available medieval sources, the largest city in Ahridos during the 12th-14th centuries was the fortress of Mneakos, located in the valley of the Middle Arda, east of the town of Kardzhali. The ruins of the large fortress above the village of Shiroko Pole are in optical visibility and have a direct line of sight to the episcopal center in the "Veselchani" neighbourhood . A little further away, near the current village of Vishegrad, 2 km from the large stronghold, there is another fortress, whose walls are still excellently preserved today (known among the people as the Vishegrad Fortress). Together with Perperikon, Mneakos is the most well-documented fortress in the Eastern Rhodopes according to historical sources. It is mentioned in the "History" by Georgi Akropolit, which describes the Bulgarian-Byzantine war of 1254-1255, one of the sources that best depict the situation in the Central and Eastern Rhodopes during the 13th century. However, unlike Perperikon, Mneakos is noted in a non-Greek source referring to the first decade of the 13th century, concerning the events surrounding the Bulgarian-Latin wars of 1205-1207, as described by the French chronicler Geoffroy de Villehardouin. He describes in great detail that it was indeed under Mneakos, in the fertile and picturesque valley of the Art (Arda) River, where the Latins set up their camp and learned for certain about the death of the first Latin Emperor Baldwin in Tarnovo. Here, beneath the fortress itself, the baronial council of the Latin Empire gathered and elected Anry as the new emperor. It is believed that Mneakos is also mentioned in another earlier Western European source describing the history of the Third Crusade (1189-1192). During that time, the outlaws rampaging in Thrace conducted plundering raids in the region of Philippopolis-Adrianople-Didymoteicho. If the information presented in the source indeed refers to Mneakos, it would represent the earliest mention of the medieval stronghold in the Eastern Rhodopes. Considering that Mneakos was the administrative center of Ahridos during the 13th-14th centuries, according to historical sources, several notable governors resided there. From 1993 to 1996, archaeological excavations and comprehensive geophysical surveys were conducted at the fortress. These were a continuation of the partial soundings carried out by I. Balkanski in 1972-1973. At the foot of the high hill, remnants of monuments from various eras were found, including rock tombs and hewn Thracian niches. The fortress consists of two separate defensive units: an outer town and a citadel at the highest point. The medieval fortress is situated on an exceptionally steep rocky peak, three sides of which are sheer cliffs rising hundreds of meters above the surrounding river Arda. The fortress is one of the highest in Bulgarian lands, with its peak reaching 586.7 m above sea level. It is also one of the largest fortresses in our country, with an enclosed area exceeding 20,000 square meters. Along its long axis, Mneakos measures nearly 0.5 km. The fortress wall encircles about half of the city in the more accessible western, southwestern, and northern directions. To the northeast and southeast, there are sheer cliffs where fortification was unnecessary. The wall is characteristic of the medieval period, built from broken stones bonded with strong white mortar. The foundations of the wall rest directly on the rock, which in places has been hewn for better grip. From the vulnerable western and northern sides, the fortress wall is more stable and evidently higher. Once, the fortress looked very picturesque and impressive, with its walls built to an incredible height.

In its completed form, the city of Mneakos had three towers located around the entrance area and to the southeast of it. Not counting the numerous towers of the inner castle, which represents the far eastern part of the fortress and defends the eastern direction. The fortress gate is situated in the low western corner of the fortification, which is located in the most accessible area and from where a path carved into the rocks descends. The main defensive structure guarding the entrance is a massive hollow tower with an irregular trapezoidal plan. Excavations reveal that it was coated on the outside with white mortar plaster, which didn’t cover the whole surface and the uncoated rounded parts of the large stones stood out. This created a picturesque decorative effect resembling a mosaic. The interior of the tower is divided into floors, which were accessed by wooden stairs. Today, the ruins of the structure rise to a height of 5.2 meters. The width of the fortress entrance can only be approximately estimated at 3 to 3.20 meters, and it was likely double-leafed with a massive wooden wall, reinforced on the outside with large diamond-shaped iron nails and sharp spikes, while on the inside, the gate was secured with a huge latch made from a sturdy wooden beam. The approach to the tower and the combat path of the curtain was made via a massive staircase, attached to the inner side of the fortress wall. At a slightly later moment in the history of Mneakos, a second, solid corner tower with an irregular trapezoidal plan was built along the fortress wall, northwest of the gate. This way, a classic defense of the gate was formed with two flanking towers. The third tower of the city was constructed along the southern part of the fortress wall, although this section appeared almost impregnable due to the steep cliffs and scree descending towards the Arda River. Upon closer inspection, a small approach can be observed, which, although difficult, allows for an ascent to the fortress. The tower is small, solid, and has a rectangular plan, likely used as a lookout due to the excellent visibility it offers over the valley. Fifty meters north of the entrance to the fortress and outside it, the inhabitants constructed a volumetric water reservoir revealed during excavations. The cistern utilized a natural fracture in the rocks, which was further carved to form a rectangular shape. The pool was lined with rubble stones, heavily bonded with white mortar. It was filled with water from a small pond located about a hundred meters from the fortress wall, for which a water supply system made of clay pipes was built, as evidenced by the fragments found on-site. The reservoir was also fed by rainwater. Inside the fortress, another water-collecting pool was discovered in the basement of a large multi-story building situated about 70 meters southwest of the inner fortification, registered by Ivan Balkanski and subsequently studied. The building had an excellent southern exposure, while also being well protected by the rocks from northern winds and was located close to the citadel. Based on the findings from the archaeological excavations, it is likely that a high-ranking individual, possibly the commander of the garrison, lived there. In some places, the wall of the basement was formed from carved rock, with a ledge cut into the height for the now non-existent walls of the upper floors, while in other areas, the walls were covered with rubble stones bonded with white mortar. The floor was made from natural rock, expertly leveled with chisels and covered with a thick layer of hydrophobic mortar mixed with crushed brick and pieces of broken ceramic vessels. Drinking water was stored in this basement, collected through a well- formed catchment surface. Through skillfully constructed channels, rainwater was directed toward the cistern. A second large building in the city has also been uncovered, located about 50 meters east of the main gate. Similar to the first building, a natural rock fracture was utilized here as well, where a basement was formed. This building likely also had several floors. To shape the basement, the walls of the rock fracture were carved and leveled, and subsequently lined with walls. The floor, after the rock was cut and leveled, was covered with flat bricks set in mortar. Given the ceramic vessels found in the basement (amphorae, jugs, pots, cups), it was likely a large food storage facility. The southern terrace at the top impresses with its favorable living conditions, which is confirmed by archaeological excavations.

Numerous household items were found during the studies there (spindle whorls, knives, needles, bells, fire steels, lead weights, a water bucket, ceramic vessels), as well as many animal bones. Spear and arrowheads, bronze coins, clothing decorations (bronze and iron appliqués), fragments of a bronze ring, a bronze bracelet, iron buckles (for military belts), and hundreds of iron nails used in the construction of wooden structures were also discovered. Entire families lived there with their belongings and farming tools, with men likely serving as warriors. The inner "castle" of Mneakos is perched on the highest eastern part of the fortified hill. It is a very important element in the overall fortification of the city, as it blocks the relatively vulnerable eastern and southeastern directions. The inner fortification occupies an area of 2,000 square meters. Following the terrain's configuration, the fortress has taken on an oval shape. The protective walls of the citadel are thinner than those of the city itself, but the construction method is not significantly different—rubble stones bonded with white mortar. Five towers are built along the fortress walls of the citadel. They are solid and constructed similarly to the fortress wall from rubble stones bonded with mortar. The northern tower is the only semi-circular one, while the northwestern, western, and southeastern towers have irregular rectangular plans. The southern tower has been completely demolished, and today its plan can only be reconstructed through conjecture. It is possible that there was another tower in the completely destroyed southwestern section of the fortress wall. The gate (which has a rather complex structure) of the inner castle is well preserved; it is located in the northwestern part of the fortress wall and leads to the city. It is flanked by the semi- circular and the nearby rectangular towers. The gate was likely double-leaved, with large-headed nails driven into its outer side for reinforcement and decorative purposes, and there may have been an arch above it made from limestone blocks and bricks, based on the materials uncovered during the archaeological excavations. Similar to the other two explored buildings in the city, another building has also been uncovered here, utilizing a natural rock fracture that was further worked. A rectangular structure was built within it from rubble stones bonded with white mortar. Fragments of hydrophobic plaster were found inside, suggesting that the lower floor was also used as a reservoir or storage area. It is clear that, in addition to the studied rectangular building, there are other constructions present. In this regard, we should consider the information from Ivan Balkanski, who noted that several Christian burials with crosses made of some mineral were excavated during digging operations 30 years ago. This suggests the existence of a church within the citadel. We could also mention that several similar citadels, like that of Mneakos, have been studied in the Eastern Rhodopes, including those at Ustra, Vishegrad, and Bashevo. Mneakos is a typical military fortress, inhabited in times of peace by a small garrison and associated maintenance craftsmen. The population lived in unfortified neighborhoods and settlements at the foot of the hill and along the river. (Literature: N. Ovcharov, D. Kodzhamanova, Perperikon and the Surrounding Fortifications in the Middle Ages, Fortress Construction in the Eastern Rhodopes, 2003.) However, at some point, every story told and all historical facts lose their meaning. No matter which path you take to the summit—whether you take the old road to the right at the beginning of the village of Shiroko Pole, or the turnoff to the right on the main road coming from the city of Kardzhali (where brown signs refer to historical and other landmarks)—the breathtaking view and the intoxicating feeling that centuries ago others like us stood in the same place, on the edge of the rock, gazing into the vast Rhodopes, admiring the same colorful and picturesque scenery, perhaps even with their last breath, I believe, immerses everyone in an enchanting atmosphere and fills them with energy, leaving them speechless and longing to return again and again to this fairytale and this small part of our beautiful country.

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Categories

• Historical landmarks
• Fortresses

Features

• Instagrammable
• Lake or dam view

Regions

• Kardzhali city

Location

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