Bulgaria Inside

Markeli fortress is situated 7.5 km away from the town of Karnobat and 50 km away from the coastal city of Bourgas.

The medieval fortress is situated on the Hisar highland, part of the eastern Stara Planina range.

Markeli acted as an important military and strategic center and played major role in the relations between Bulgarians and Byzantines. The fortress protected the sole road to Vurbishki and Rishki passes, which further increased its importance.

The length of the fortress walls is 530 m. Its protective ditches and ramparts can still be seen today. These are some of the biggest artificial defense facilities constructed on the Balkan Peninsula. Markeli was practically unconquerable and managed to get supplies during sieges via a special river facility.

Archaeologists discovered during research in the region a basilica dating back to the 6th century, an Old Bulgarian church from the 10th century, a Byzantine church from the 11th century and numerous artifacts and coins.

Markeli was probably constructed during the reigns of Byzantine emperors Anastasius I and Justin I to protect the empire from assaults. In 756, a battle between Bulgarians and Byzantines took place there but Bulgarians lost. In 792, Bulgarian khan Kardam defeated emperor Constantine VI and the Byzantine empire was forced to pay taxes to Bulgaria.

Since 812, Markeli is a Bulgarian fortress. Khan Kroum turned it into a major fortification. It lost some of its functions once the Bulgarian border was moved. The fortress was destroyed during an Ottoman assault in 1371.