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326:, jointed abundantly with white mortar. The defensive capabilities of the wall are reinforced with three three-floor towers, one semi-circular and two rectangular. The first floor of the towers served as reservoirs. The tower walls were plastered with mortar plaster, up to 0.2 m thick, produced by mixing mortar with broken bricks and large pieces of pottery. Inside the towers were stone stairs to provide access, parts of which have been preserved in two of them. The entrance to the fortress was located in its easternmost part, accessible through seven steps carved into the rock. The foundations of the room that served as the living quarters of the entrance guards have been preserved. The potential attacked had to pass around the entire space outside the wall and towers.
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394:, in a short time subjugated huge territory and took many towns without an effort. The populace, who were Bulgarians, took the side of their countrymen and shook the yoke of those who spoke another language. And the fortresses, left only with Roman guards were easily accessible to the Bulgarians. The fortresses of
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The fortress was studied in 1971–1973 by archaeologist Stamen
Mihaylov and historian Ivan Balkanski, then curator of the Kardzhali Museum of History. More than 1,000 objects were found during the excavations, including iron arrow tips, bronze and silver crosses, copper coins, clay vessels. A research
310:". It rises on an elongated, rocky, steep peak with very good visibility, covering a long distance in the surrounding area. The sheer cliffs to the north and northwest descend almost vertically. Far to the northeast there is visibility to another important castle in the region,
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Ustra is a monument of culture of national importance since 1968. It is also part of the Rock
Formations in the Kaleto Locality Natural Landmark declared in 1972 to protect the rock formations and the fortress. In 2022 the ownership of the fortress was transferred from the
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Inside the protected area are the remains of eight buildings, situated in the southern and southeastern parts. The largest is 11 m long and 6 m wide, and the smallest is 1.7 m long and 0.5 m wide. They likely served living quarters and storage.
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There is little information about the history of Ustra. The archaeological date suggests that fortress was constructed in the 10th century to protect an important trade route. It was taken by the armies of the
Bulgarian monarch
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The defensive wall is 113 m long, 2.8 m thick at the base, 1.75 m at the top, and preserved to a height of up to 8–10 m in places. The outer face of the wall is made of treated stone joined with white
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is 30 km away in the same direction. The main path for the fortress begins in the eastern outskirts of Ustren via the Ustra Refuge. An easier but lesser known track starts from the neighbouring village of Lebed.
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767:Мичев (Michev), Николай (Nikolay); Михайлов (Mihaylov), Цветко (Tsvetko); Вапцаров (Vaptsarov), Иван (Ivan); Кираджиев (Kiradzhiev), Светлин (Svetlin) (1980).
356:
359:, which ended in a decisive Bulgarian victory. Yet, at the final peace treaty of 927 Ustra was likely among the conquests returned to the Byzantines.
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in 2006 found traces of large scale fortification works on the ridge descending in direction northeast from the promontory, where Ustra is situated.
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to
Dzhebel Municipality for a period of 10 years, in order to facilitate the municipal authorities to promote the site as a tourist landmark.
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on a straight line and 2.5 km from the same settlement along the tourist path, and 3 km southwest of the village of
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in 913 as part of a peace deal, in return of the recognition of the imperial title of the
Bulgarian rulers, as the first
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199:. It is among the highest and best preserved fortifications in the mountain range. The fortress was controlled by the
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347:(r. 893–927) in the first decade of the 10th century and was believed to be among the strongholds returned to the
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The fortress occupies an area of 1,290 m and has the shape of an open quadrangle resembling the of
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The fortress was mentioned by name in the works of two 13th century
Byzantine chroniclers,
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707:"The Ministry of Culture Transferred the Ustra Fortress to Dzhebel Municipality"
673:"The Ministry of Culture Transferred the Ustra Fortress to Dzhebel Municipality"
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is about 10 km in northeastern direction, while the provincial capital
792:"Official Tourist Portal of Bulgaria. Ustra Fortress, Dzhebel Municipality"
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Official Site of the
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Official Site of the
Executive Environment Agency of Bulgaria
648:"Register of the Protected Territories and Zones in Bulgaria"
355:. The deal was short lived, as the Byzantines provoked the
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Greek
Sources for Bulgarian History (GIBI), Volume VIII
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The ruins of the fortress are situated on a hill in
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807:"Bulgarian Fortresses. Ustra Fortress"
610:Geographic Dictionary of Bulgaria 1980
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478:"Ustra Fortress, Dzhebel Municipality"
207:until the region was conquered by the
779:): Наука и култура (Nauka i kultura).
711:Official Site of Dzhebel Municipality
7:
482:Official Tourist Portal of Bulgaria
69:The fortress walls from the outside
357:Byzantine–Bulgarian war of 913–927
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773:Geographic Dictionary of Bulgaria
410:, surrendered to the Bulgarians."
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590:"Bulgaria Guide, Ustra Fortress"
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22:Carlos Alberto Brilhante Ustra
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775:] (in Bulgarian). София (
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743:Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
229:is named after the fortress.
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406:and Efraim, located near
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16:For similar terms, see
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223:South Shetland Islands
911:Castra ad Montanesium
891:Belogradchik Fortress
382:. Akropolites wrote:
368:Theodore Skoutariotes
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127:41.47028°N 25.22583°E
522:Bulgarian Fortresses
247:Dzhebel Municipality
1086:Castles in Bulgaria
860:Castles in Bulgaria
731:Collective (1972).
276:Ministry of Culture
233:Location and status
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986:Matochina Fortress
896:Bozhenishki Urvich
745:. pp. 184–184
364:George Akropolites
345:Simeon I the Great
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251:Kardzhali Province
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132:41.47028; 25.22583
52:Kardzhali Province
1096:Rhodope Mountains
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941:Kipilovo Fortress
376:Rhodope Mountains
219:Livingston Island
205:Bulgarian Empires
193:Rhodope Mountains
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324:rubble stone
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195:in southern
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156:Site history
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306:letter of "
298:Autumn view
282:Description
130: /
106:Coordinates
1080:Categories
1031:Trapezitsa
1011:Perperikon
761:References
408:Adrianople
227:Antarctica
215:Ustra Peak
118:25°13′33″E
115:41°28′13″N
1056:Vishegrad
1036:Tsarevets
1026:Storgosia
931:Hisarlaka
921:Devingrad
886:Baba Vida
458:Citations
267:Kardzhali
201:Byzantine
181:Bulgarian
148:Condition
38:Bulgarian
976:Lyutitsa
936:Kaliakra
901:Byalgrad
400:Perperek
304:Cyrillic
203:and the
197:Bulgaria
189:fortress
151:in ruins
56:Bulgaria
1041:Tsepina
981:Markeli
916:Cherven
415:Gallery
378:to the
338:History
263:Dzhebel
221:in the
1046:Urvich
1021:Sostra
1006:Patmos
996:Monyak
966:Lardea
961:Ktenia
956:Krivus
951:Krasen
813:25 May
797:25 May
749:25 May
716:25 May
682:25 May
657:25 May
632:25 May
595:25 May
565:25 May
527:25 May
487:25 May
404:Krivus
388:Haemus
320:mortar
312:Monyak
255:Ustren
161:Events
1051:Ustra
777:Sofia
771:[
739:Sofia
396:Ustra
392:Evros
353:Tsars
259:Lebed
185:Устра
177:Ustra
94:Ustra
42:Устра
30:Ustra
18:üstra
815:2024
799:2024
751:2024
718:2024
684:2024
659:2024
634:2024
597:2024
567:2024
560:Sega
529:2024
489:2024
366:and
20:and
249:of
217:on
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