Baluk Dere Fortress is a medieval fortress situated
northwest of the village of Slaveevo. The fortress was built directly over the
Arda River.
Baluk Dere (Slaveevo) Fortress Map
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Baluk Dere Fortress in a larger map
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Slaveevo Fortress
The Slaveevo fortress is assumed to be part of a
fortification system, situated along the Arda River.
During
antiquity, one of the main roads leading from the Edirne plain towards the interior of the
Rhodopes passed along its river bed.
The
fortress most probably was built during the Late Antique Epoch as a part of the so-called Limes
Rodopica, built by Emperor Justinian I (527-565) to protect the Byzantium Empire from the
barbaric invasions, which became regular during the epoch of the great migration of
peoples.
The
Baluk Dere Fortress is situated on the plateau of a ridge,
orientated southwest-northeast. The ridge is surrounded by steep slopes on the north and south
sides. The fortress walls follow the configuration of the terrain. The north wall is partly
preserved, and the south wall is in better condition, preserved up to six meters
high.
The
angles of the fortress are rounded. Piles of stone (most probably traces of buildings) can be
seen in the interior of the fortress. In the center of the ridge, there is huge rectangular
building orientated north-south with walls of 15×25m length. The building was built of local
stones without soldering.
The Medieval Fortress of Slaveevo is one of the best
preserved in the Eastern Rhodopes.
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