Fortress ” Monyak “
“Monyak” fortress is located in the municipality of Kardzhali, nine kilometers from the village of Shiroko Pole. It is one of the largest and highest fortresses in the Rhodopes with a protected area of over 50 decares. It consists of two parts. The outer fortress wall surrounds the hill tightly from the north. In the western part is the entrance, with a tower on either side. The northern one is a solid trapezoidal bastion, and the southern one had several floors. The wall continues to the south, following the contours of the terrain. It reaches an impassable rock drop with a height of more than 50 m. The highest southern part of the plateau is occupied by a citadel with solid trapezoidal bastions on the walls and an entrance located approximately halfway up the north wall.
During the conducted research, several buildings were located and cleared – one with a square plan is located inside the citadel. The ground floor was dug into the rocks and probably served as a water reservoir.
History
The entire area around the “Monyak” Fortress, the rocks on which it was built, the village of Shiroko Pole itself abounds with ancient evidence of early habitation by a population with high domestic and cultural skills, ensuring continuity within itself and with the surrounding territories. From the elevation described in this way, there is a delightful unique view of the mountain, the valleys, the slopes and the Studen Kladenets dam. The fortress had an important strategic role, as it guarded the Iron Gate pass and the approaches to the medieval city, located around the Saint John Prodrom monastery, located in the present-day city of Kardzhali. In 1206, the fortress was besieged by the Latins during the Fourth Crusade. It was here that Henry (brother of the deceased Baldwin of Flanders) was crowned as the second and last emperor of the Latin Empire.
До крепостта има маркирана пътека още след като се излезе от гр. Кърджали в посока гр. Хасково (през с. Мост). Може да се подходи както от с. Широко поле, така и покрай детския лагер по стария път за с. Широко поле, непосредствено покрай отбивката за селото. Обектът е устроен за туризъм. Read more…