Asen’s Fortress

Asen's Fortress (Asenova krepost) is a medieval fortress in the Bulgarian Rhodope Mountains, 2 to 3 km south of Asenovgrad in Plovdiv Province. It stands on a high rocky ridge on the left bank of the Asenitsa River. Finds go back to Thracian times. Under the name Petrich it is mentioned in the 11th-century statute of Bachkovo Monastery.

According to Wikipedia, in 1205 the Latin duke Renier of Trit held the fortress for eleven months with 40 knights until Henry of Flanders relieved him. In 1231 Tsar Ivan Asen II had it renewed as a border fortress against Latin raids. Excavations uncovered walls, a feudal castle with 30 rooms and three cisterns; the site later fell into ruin under Ottoman rule. The two-storey, cross-domed Church of the Holy Mother of God dates from the 12th to 13th century and has 14th-century murals. It was partly restored in 1991 and is still used for services. The path to the church is steep and narrow.