Kipilovo Fortress

Lore & Background

The fortress was constructed on Hisarlaka peak using the opus mixtum technique and red plaster. Its walls were 2.5 meters thick and in some places reached 8–10 meters in height. The Škorpil brothers suggested that the ancient fortress of Kirpillon (or Kirpilon) was located here, though the claim that this gave the village its name is speculative and not a confirmed historical fact. The fortress was part of a defensive system, but archaeological evidence suggests it was largely abandoned or fell out of use before the Second Bulgarian Empire, with only limited later reuse.

The shape is an irregular trapezoid with a wide base to the southeast, 181 m long and up to 59 m wide. The area is now overgrown with trees and shrubs. In the north-western part, buildings with walls preserved up to 1–2 m high have visible entrances and conical loopholes, possibly serving as guard dwellings. A small water tank exists in the natural rocks near the middle, while the main water supply came from an artificially carved pool in the southern part, surrounded by walls and possibly covered.

Between the two reservoirs lies a ruined building foundation, 9 by 6 m, oriented east–west, which may have been a church-chapel, though excavations are needed to confirm. Outside the fortress, only a partially preserved stone road 4–5 m wide has been found. Three well-preserved entrances remain.

Reader's Guide

The Kipilovo Fortress represents a key element in the Byzantine defensive network protecting Constantinople from northern incursions. Built in the late 6th century, it exemplifies late Roman military engineering with its opus mixtum construction and thick walls. The fortress's irregular trapezoidal layout and surviving structures—including guard buildings, water tanks, and a possible chapel—offer insight into garrison life and logistical planning. Its continued use into the Second Bulgarian Empire period indicates its strategic importance over centuries. The site's identification with the ancient Kirpillon Pelon by the Škorpil brothers links it to regional toponymy. Today, the ruins are overgrown, but the three intact entrances and stone road provide tangible evidence of Byzantine frontier fortification. The unresolved question of the chapel underscores the need for further archaeological investigation to fully understand the site's religious and social functions.

Did You Know?

• The fortress was built using the opus mixtum technique and red plaster.
• The Škorpil brothers suggested the fortress was the ancient Kirpillon (or Kirpilon), though the link to the village name is speculative.
• The fortress has three well-preserved entrances.
• A ruined building foundation, possibly a church-chapel, is oriented exactly east–west.