Bulgaria Inside

The ruins of one of the best preserved medieval fortresses in Bulgaria can be seen west of the village of Mezek.

Mezek fortress is the best preserved fortification in the Rhodope region. It is situated near the village of Mezek, six km away from the town of Svilengrad. The border between Bulgaria and Greece is only one km away.

Fortress walls surround an area having the shape of an irregular tetragon of size of 110 by 60 m. It has tetragonal shape and has been made of stone. Two brick belts pass through the stone wall. Nine towers provide further security, five of them being positioned on the southern fortress wall.

Construction took place in the end of the 11th or the beginning of the 12th centuries. It probably took place under the reign of Alexei I Komnin.

The fortification was used until Ottomans conquered the region. The fortress acted as a castle and probably housed soldiers.

Mezek suffered serious destruction in 1900 when some of the stones were taken and used in the construction in Ottoman barracks in Svilengrad.