Ancient name of city of Perperikon was Pergamum, archaeologists claim

Archaeologists have announced the ancient name of Perperikon, the ancient city in Bulgaria's Eastern Rhodope Mountain. In early antiquity, the site was known as Pergamum, a name supported by research into the work of Roman geographer Claudius Ptolemy. The discovery was announced on the final day of this year’s archaeological excavations at the rock city, BNR correspondent in Kardzhali, Valya Apostolova, reports.

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In his work Geography, written in the second century AD, Claudius Ptolemy mentions a major city in the middle reaches of the Arda River. His work later disappeared but was preserved by the Arabs. In the 13th century, the text, including all its maps, was translated into several languages.

“In all these versions, there is a city located in the heart of the Rhodope Mountains called Pergamum or Pergamon. You might ask: ‘But isn’t there a Pergamum in Asia Minor?’ Of course there is. It has already been established that Pergamum or Pergamon means ‘fortification’. Today, we know that we are unlikely ever to discover a larger city than Perperikon, not only in the Eastern Rhodopes but anywhere in the Rhodopes. We now have evidence that Perperikon was a magnificent city and a major sacred centre,” said Nikolay Ovcharov, head of the archaeological excavations at Perperikon.

Edited by Miglena Ivanova