Tsari Mali Grad

North of the Rila Mountains, not far from the Seven Lakes, is the Citadel Museum of Tsari Mali Grad. It is a large complex that has been adapted for tourism, including an ancient church, a rope park, museum rooms, and a reconstruction of the fortress from Roman times. All of these are located in a beautiful forest with wonderful vantage points to Mount Vitosha to the north and the Rila Mountains to the south. Near the complex, there is a small craft market, and a special cable car and walking paths lead to the fortress at the top of the hill.

The place was inhabited as far back as the Thracian period, as evidenced by the cups carved into the rock they left behind, representing different zodiac signs and constellations. The Romans built a large fortress here that also existed in the Byzantine period and was rebuilt magnificently during the time of Emperor Justinian. Byzantine coins were found at the site with the image of Galla Placidia, the daughter of the Byzantine emperor Theodosius I, whose famous tomb is in Ravenna. In the museum rooms, there is a beautiful display of the life of Roman soldiers in the fortress, including their armor and belongings.

In the Middle Ages, a church was built on the pagan holy site. It was destroyed over time but was restored in its original form, maintaining the sacred proportions and arrangements according to the best of the Byzantine tradition. In the lower part of the fortress, another church has been restored from the Ottoman period, built in honor of Sveti Petka, the patron female saint of the Balkans. It has beautiful paintings and woodwork, part of which is original from the 17th century.

The area of the fortress is large, the walls have been restored according to ancient construction techniques, and the visit to the site is impressive.

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