In the far south of Bulgaria, a megalithic stone complex rises on a hill in the Eastern Rhodope Mountains of Bulgaria. This 8,000 year old prehistoric shrine, which is today known as the ancient Thracian city of Perperikon, was originally built by an advanced unnamed prehistoric civilization that worshiped the Sun God. During the ensuing centuries, it was adopted as a holy place by the Thracians, Romans, Byzantines, and finally by modern Bulgarians.
More recently, four tombs from the Early Christian and Early Byzantine period (5-6th centuries) as well as a large necropolis with over 200 graves have been excavated.
Throughout history, people referred to this place as “the Holy Mount” for reasons that are easily understood. The little Perpershka River, whose gold-bearing sands attracted mankind for years, made the place one the most fertile spots in Eastern Rhodope. Ancient shamans purposely built the sanctuary on the very steep slopes of the mountains, making it accessible from only one direction. With such restricted access, they could perform rituals and pray for fertility and health without interruption. A vessel found in one of the large oval halls, showing a scene with six human figures surrounding a key image of the Sun, supports this theory of a sun-worshiping civilization.