Mezek Fortress, the Medieval Stronghold near Svilengrad
Mezek Fortress is a medieval border stronghold on a rocky terrace beside the village of Mezek, about 6 km south-west of Svilengrad and one kilometre from the Greek border. Nine round towers, some over ten metres tall, still rise from its walls. It is listed among the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria and lies a short walk from the largest Thracian beehive tomb in the country.
Its battlements survived until 1900, when the Ottomans pulled part of the walls down to build barracks in Svilengrad. Even so, it is still the best-preserved fort in the eastern Rhodopes.
The history of Mezek Fortress
The fortress stands at about 210 metres above sea level on a long terrace at the foot of Gorata, also called St Marina, the most north-eastern ridge of the Rhodope Mountains. Locals simply call it Kaleto, “the fort”. People were active here long before the Middle Ages: the archaeologist Ivan Velkov, who came to the area after the famous tomb at Mezek was found, recorded Thracian pottery and an amphora stamp from the island of Thasos on the meadow south of the walls.
Excavations found no medieval material earlier than the eleventh century, and a great deal of pottery from the thirteenth and fourteenth. On this evidence the fortress was built at the end of the eleventh and the beginning of the twelfth century, probably under the Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos. It was a border guard post defending the lands between the Maritsa and Arda rivers, and it stayed in use until the area fell to the Ottomans in the second half of the fourteenth century. The fort was held at different times by the Byzantine and the Bulgarian empires.
The fortress is a small, irregular quadrangle of about 110 by 60 metres enclosing some 7 decares. Its walls, 1.9 to 2.5 metres thick, are made of rubble stone set in white mortar and decorated on the outside with three bands of brick. Nine round towers protrude more than half of their diameter beyond the walls and reach more than ten metres in height; five stand on the vulnerable south side. The tallest and best preserved, at the south-west corner, had three floors open to the interior, so that defenders could still fire in a full circle even if an enemy broke in. The entrance lies in the western wall, in a deep recess guarded by a tower.
In the nineteenth century the historian Konstantin Jireček identified these ruins with Neoutzikon, a place named by the Byzantine chronicler Niketas Choniates. According to Choniates, Constantine Angelos Doukas, governor of Philippopolis and a successful fighter against the Bulgarian uprising of Asen and Peter, proclaimed himself emperor in 1193 and marched towards Adrianople. His own men betrayed and captured him at Neoutzikon, on the border of the districts of Plovdiv and Edirne, and Emperor Isaac II Angelos put down the revolt. Choniates adds that the Bulgarian rebels, who had feared Constantine’s ability, were greatly encouraged.
The battlements survived until 1900, when the Ottomans demolished them and part of the fortress to reuse the stone for barracks in Svilengrad. Research began in the 1930s with the architect Aleksandar Rashenov, and larger excavations in 1983 revealed two granaries with charred wheat, millstones and many household vessels. The fortress was declared a national antiquity in 1927 and an architectural monument in 1968, and conservation works followed in 1963, 1973, 2007 and again in 2012–2013, when the stairs, the facing masonry and several battlements were restored.
Curious facts about Mezek Fortress
- The Ottomans pulled down part of the fortress in 1900 to build barracks in Svilengrad out of its stone.
- The towers project more than half of their diameter beyond the walls, so defenders could shoot along the wall face.
- The great south-west tower had three floors open to the interior, giving defenders a circular line of fire.
- A Cold War military structure still stands on the site of the easternmost tower, a sign of how close the Greek border is, only about one kilometre away.
- Two granaries with charred wheat were found inside, showing that the fort kept supplies for a siege.
- The nearby summit of Sheynovets was the site of the first action of the First Balkan War in 1912.
Tours near Mezek Fortress
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting Mezek Fortress: what to expect
- The fortress lies next to Mezek village and is easy to reach from Svilengrad by road; a road from the western edge of the village leads up towards the summit of Sheynovets.
- Walk round the walls to see the nine round towers, the three bands of brick on the outside and the restored staircases and battlements.
- A tourist information centre is reported on site, with information and brochures; check current opening hours before you go.
- About 600 m to the east lies the Mezek Tomb, the largest Thracian beehive tomb in Bulgaria, which makes a natural pair with the fortress.
- The fortress is part of the Kaleto Natural Landmark, protected since 1976 for its rock formations as well as the fort.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Mezek Fortress is
Photos of Mezek Fortress
Questions
What is Mezek Fortress?
Mezek Fortress is a medieval stronghold from the eleventh and twelfth centuries near the village of Mezek in southeastern Bulgaria. It is identified with the Byzantine Neoutzikon.
Where is Mezek Fortress and how far is it from Svilengrad?
It lies beside the village of Mezek, about 6 km south-west of Svilengrad and about one kilometre north of the Greek border.
How old is Mezek Fortress?
The excavations date its construction to the end of the eleventh or beginning of the twelfth century, probably under Alexios I Komnenos. It was used until the Ottoman conquest in the second half of the fourteenth century.
What can you see at Mezek Fortress?
A walled quadrangle with nine round towers, the best preserved of them at the south-west corner, and restored stairways and battlements.
Is there anything else to see near Mezek Fortress?
Yes. About 600 m to the east is the Mezek Tomb, the largest Thracian beehive tomb in Bulgaria, and the Sheynovets summit lies nearby.
Is Mezek Fortress a protected site?
Yes. It was declared a national antiquity in 1927 and an architectural monument in 1968, and it lies within the Kaleto Natural Landmark, declared in 1976.
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