Kozia Kamak
Goat Rock (Kozia Kamak)
When you travel west from Lake Dospat, to the foothills of the Rhodope Mountains, you reach an area of beautiful villages built of slate stones, in a traditional style that has not changed since the 19th century. One of the most beautiful villages is Kovachevitsa, a village founded by refugees who fled the horrors of Ottoman persecution in the 17th century, probably from the Veliko Tarnovo area. They settled in the area because of its remoteness and the quality of its water. Since then, the village has maintained its traditional Bulgarian character and has never experienced Ottoman or other foreign rule. The meaning of the name Kovachevitsa is “the blacksmith’s wife.” There are many guesthouses in the village, and it is a good starting point for jeep tours and hikes in the area.
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Above the village lies an ancient megalithic site called the “Rock of the Goat” (Kozia Kamak), a group of prominent rocks located in the area of Mount Beslet. Nearby, there are four other similar megalithic sites. These are high rocky peaks, about 1,400 meters in elevation, overlooking breathtaking landscapes. The sites feature enormous rocks, tens of meters high, sculpted in shapes reminiscent of various animals. At Goat Rock, there is a formation resembling a goat (naturally), and also a rock shaped like a giant human face.
According to Professor Vasil Markov from Blagoevgrad, who specializes in astro-archaeology (yes, that’s a real field!), more than 300 cup-marks (a number similar to that at Belintash) were carved into the surface of the central rock at the site, arranged in the pattern of star constellations. Among them, he identified the constellation Cassiopeia.
The central rock rises about 30 meters above its surroundings, and a narrow and dangerous path leads to its summit. At the top, there is a platform with a baptismal basin and cup-marks, where ceremonies—possibly sacred marriages—were likely held by an ancient and unknown goddess-worshipping culture that existed at the dawn of history. When the Thracians arrived in the area, they adopted the site, so from the archaeologists’ perspective, it is attributed to them.
It is interesting to note that about 20 km away, as the crow flies, lies the Gradishte site, which also features a huge human face carved into the rocks. To reach Kozia Kamak, you’ll need a jeep, and as you get closer, you’ll have to walk the last part of the route for about an hour.
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