Английская Википедия:Anevo Fortress
Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Coord
The Anevo Fortress (Шаблон:Lang-bg, Anevsko kale) or Kopsis (Копсис) is a medieval castle in central Bulgaria, the ruins of which are located some Шаблон:Convert from the village of Anevo in Sopot Municipality, Plovdiv Province. Constructed in the first half of the 12th century, it lies on a steep hilltop at the southern foot of the Balkan Mountains, not far from the Stryama river.[1] In the end of the 13th century, the fortress was the capital of a small short-lived quasi-independent domain[2] ruled by the brothers of Tsar Smilets of Bulgaria, Voysil and Radoslav.[3]
History and architecture
The hill where the Anevo Fortress is situated has been populated since no later than Antiquity (3rd–1st century BC), with habitation also evident throughout the Ancient Roman (1st–4th century), early Byzantine (5th–6th century) and Bulgarian (11th–14th century) periods of rule. The castle reached its heyday in the last quarter of the 13th century, when under the rule of the Bulgarian nobles (bolyari) Voysil and Radoslav it was the capital of a quasi-independent realm. The domain comprised the landholdings of the two renegade brothers of Tsar Smilets, which lay between the Balkan Mountains and Sredna Gora, approximately from modern Sliven west to Kopsis.[3][4]
The Anevo Fortress is dominated by its fortified inner city or citadel, surrounded by defensive walls with gates and towers. The entire fortress was around Шаблон:Convert in area, of which Шаблон:Convert are taken up by the citadel and other archaeological remains, the unfortified part of the city measured around Шаблон:Convert and a monastery with adjacent buildings amounted to Шаблон:Convert. In total, the Anevo Fortress is thought to have had eight defensive towers, of which only several have been preserved. The towers are either rectangular or polygonal in shape,[5] and their ruins reach up to Шаблон:Convert in height.[6]
The western wall of the castle, flanked by a tower at each end, is in best condition. It is Шаблон:Convert long and around Шаблон:Convert thick. The walls were constructed according to the opus emplectum technology out of broken local stones and river stones welded together by means of white mortar. Residential buildings within the citadel were generally built of broken stones and white mortar and had most often one, though in some cases two or more floors. The foundations of four churches have been unearthed: two of those lay in the citadel and the remaining two were located outside of it.[5] At least one of the churches boasts preserved traces of medieval frescoes and pavement. Pottery has also been discovered at the Anevo Fortress.[6]
See also
- Kopsis Glacier, in Antarctica, named after the fortress
Bibliography
- Notes
- References
Шаблон:Refend Шаблон:Castles in Bulgaria Шаблон:Sopot Municipality, Bulgaria
- ↑ Шаблон:Harvnb
- ↑ Шаблон:Harvnb
- ↑ 3,0 3,1 Шаблон:Harvnb, Chapter: 17 България през втората половина на ХІІІ в.: 4. Феодален сепаратизъм
- ↑ Шаблон:Harvnb
- ↑ 5,0 5,1 Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ 6,0 6,1 Шаблон:Harvnb, Chapter: Крепости: Аневско кале
