Along the valley of River Arda and near the dams of “Kardzhali” and “Cold well” , there has been initiated the development of all kinds of water sports, as well as the construction of short-term recreation zones. There also exist perfect conditions for hunting, fishing and rowing tourism.
Numerous unique Neolithic monuments, fortresses and other archaeological finds mirror the rich cultural and historical past of this region. A rich collection consisting of over 30 000 exponents, some of which are of universal significance, is exhibited in the Regional Museum of History in the town of Kardzhali. The exhibition in three different departments, namely in “Archaeology”, “Nature” and “Ethnography”, trace the historical development of the Eastern Rhodopes from the 6th millennium B.C up to present days. The most ancient historical layers date back to the New Stone Age, passing through the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. The fortresses, the rock niches and the sanctuaries carry the features of the Thracian, Greek and Roman civilizations. The Medieval monastery complex, fortresses and necropolises reveal the Byzantine might as well as the power of the First and the Second Bulgarian kingdom.
The present archaeological expeditions in the territory of the Municipality reveal new pages of the history of these lands which turn out to be the cross-road of various nations and their cultures. In August, year 2000, near the town of Kardzhali, near the Medieval fortress of “Perperikon” , archaeologists’ team under the guidance of s.s.c. Nikolay Ovcharov found a Thracian king`s palace with sanctuaries dating back to V-²V century B.C. and this palace was found under the old fortress. This is the only existing up to now Thracian king`s palace from this epoch.
Very few are those towns in Bulgaria that have restored monastery complexes dating back to ²Õ- Õ century. The monastery complex “ St. John the Precursor” is functioning nowadays. |
