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Belintash

phone: +359 331 62250 - History Museum - Asenovgrad link: https://www.belintash.eu
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Belintash is a rock in the shape of a small plateau in the Rhodopes, bearing traces of human activity. It is believed that this is a cult site dating from the Eneolithic, which was used for ritual purposes by the tribes inhabiting the area, and its very nature and purpose are not yet fully discovered.

There are also hypothetical assumptions that in later epochs, when the Thracians inhabited this area of ​​the mountain, the existing ancient sanctuary was dedicated to the god Sabazios.

On the upper platform of the rock are carved round holes, gutters, niches and steps, which is assumed that form a map of the starry sky. The length of the rock platform is about 300 m, with an altitude of 1225 m. It is located 30 km southeast of the town of Asenovgrad. This is the second largest rock-cut sanctuary in Bulgaria (after Perperek), located on an area of ​​approx. 5 decares, on an elongated (north-south) rock plane, with an average slope to the east of about 18 °.

On the highest part of the plateau is located a kind of plateau-altar. It is about 300 m long, and the rocks at its base, viewed from the north and in the appropriate position of the sun, are shaped like a giant figure of a lion lying on his stomach.

This central part of the sanctuary is located in the middle of a wide circle of higher mountain massifs, characterized by two features - that from each point of the outer circle the altar plateau is clearly visible and all the ceremonies that took place could be observed on it and that it is the highest ridges of this outer circle that combine naturally to form at least three more male bodies lying on their backs.

Also, the sanctuary is in the range of a very powerful magnetic anomaly.

The road to the central part of the sanctuary passes by huge rock-cut or reshaped by human hand anthropomorphic and zoomorphic rocks and carvings in the rock massifs of the plateau. On the plateau itself there are various geometric outlines.

On the plateau-altar itself are carved two rock pools (often called cisterns), which do not dry out even in the hottest days of the year. Around them are also observed formed in the bed of the rock a kind of stone seats. The supposed connection with the Eneolithic cult complex near the village of Dolnoslav defines Belintash as a sanctuary of 7000 years, which makes it one of the oldest in Europe.

Belintash is a flat peak located in a pyroclastic flow. The massif serves as a resting place for large birds of prey and other rare protected species - Red-rumped swallow, Common kestrel, Alpine Swift and others.

  • Historical period

  • Prehistory
  • How to get there

  • From direction Asenovgrad - Kardzhali, turn right after the village of Cherven, pass through the village of Gornoslav, then through the village of Oreshets. At the turnout for the village of Mostovo, continue straight (Mostovo is on the right), you will reach the turnout for the neighborhoods Vrata and Kabata. For Belintash, turn left, pass through the Vrata neighborhood, then reach a turnout with a covered shed turn right (there is a sign) and reach a cemetery. To the right is the road to Belintash.


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