75:
1315:
59:
1104:
825:
428:
1011:
440:
452:
359:
82:
416:) that have been unearthed in the eastern part of the castle are equally old as the fortifications. A well tower was positioned in the vicinity of the river in order to control access to the fortress and provide water for the defenders. An ancient bridge crossed the river near the tower, and an underground passage served as another way for the inhabitants to enter or leave Markeli.
400:
Archaeological research of the fortress has been conducted since 1986. It has revealed that the castle was built in Late
Antiquity (the early Byzantine period). The fortifications were constructed out of crushed stones with integrated rows of bricks and are thought to date to the reign of either
298:. Constantine V's army advanced into Thrace and was engaged by Bulgarian forces at Markeli, which at the time was a border fortress. The Byzantines came out victorious in the skirmish, and to prevent a further invasion, the Bulgarian ruler Vineh had to send hostages to Constantinople.
409:(527–565), i.e. the late 5th to mid-6th century. The ramparts were up to 10 metres (33 ft) high and had over 3-metre (9.8 ft) ditches before them. The entire fortress, including the embankments dating to the early 9th century, had an area of 173 acres (0.70 km).
264:. It would often change hands between Bulgarians and Byzantines, who would use it as a favourable starting point for military campaigns southwards and northwards respectively. Markeli first came under Bulgarian rule in 705, when it, together with the whole region of
313:
each invading foreign territory in the past few years. Due to strategic errors, the
Byzantines suffered a heavy blow in this battle. Some of the emperor's personal servants and eminent
370:), on the western tip of the Hisar highland, which is part of the southeastern Balkan Mountains. The stronghold's location was selected so as to defend the
1339:
326:'s forces departed from Markeli in their ill-fated invasion of Bulgaria, which saw the emperor being killed at the hands of the Bulgarians in the
813:
107:
791:
1092:
1070:
518:
683:"Маркели — древният страж на старопланинските проходи ("Markeli — the ancient guardian of the Balkan Mountain passes")"
305:. The second battle of Marcellae came during a long period of aggression between Byzantium and Bulgaria, with Bulgarian ruler
779:
754:
649:
616:
565:
499:
806:
74:
1085:
439:
1334:
821:
799:
490:
1100:
1344:
1078:
772:
History of the
Eastern Empire from the Fall of Irene to the Accession of Basil: A.D. 802-867, Parts 802-867
385:
crossing the mountains. The area was inhabited before the castle's construction, as indicated by traces of
302:
160:
1108:
855:
1349:
990:
940:
885:
427:
1041:
970:
930:
865:
860:
241:
164:
17:
1354:
960:
714:
641:
381:. It was the starting point of a chain of Bulgarian fortifications along the route to the capital
985:
451:
323:
256:
Markeli acquired its strategic importance in the late 7th century, when the establishment of the
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1139:
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319:
were killed by the
Bulgarians, who also captured the emperor's tent, treasury and horses.
8:
1046:
634:
245:
240:. It was the site of two notable medieval battles between Byzantines and Bulgarians, the
168:
1304:
1234:
1179:
1164:
1144:
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295:
181:
1249:
1209:
1199:
1189:
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925:
895:
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739:
682:
645:
612:
589:
561:
514:
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276:
1194:
920:
327:
261:
209:
28:
1264:
1254:
1219:
900:
581:
282:
organized a campaign against
Bulgaria. The previous year, Bulgarian forces under
265:
217:
45:
1239:
1174:
1124:
1119:
310:
291:
260:
and its expansion turned it into a vital frontier stronghold just south of the
225:
201:
189:
350:). The fortress was manned and populated until some time in the 12th century.
216:
frontier stronghold, the ruins of which are located in
Karnobat Municipality,
1328:
1154:
593:
378:
375:
279:
122:
109:
1314:
394:
331:
269:
406:
386:
741:
The other Europe in the Middle Ages: Avars, Bulgars, Khazars, and Cumans
519:"Крепостта Маркели спасява Плиска ("The Markeli Fortress saves Pliska")"
366:
Markeli is situated near the
Mochuritsa River (a major tributary of the
1259:
995:
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58:
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1134:
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905:
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1103:
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237:
221:
49:
1289:
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1244:
1214:
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382:
343:
287:
1299:
1000:
945:
233:
27:"Marcellae" redirects here. For the Marcellae sisters, see
301:
In 792, Markeli was once more in the centre of a major
588:(in Bulgarian). София: Наука и изкуство. p. 270.
294:, though by 756 the Bulgarian throne was occupied by
63:
Markeli's Well Tower on the banks of the
Mochuritsa.
586:История на българската държава през средните векове
736:
609:Greek East and Latin West: the church, AD 681-1071
549:
445:Part of the defensive wall with a tower entrance.
1326:
732:
730:
728:
552:Southeastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 500-1250
1086:
807:
725:
1340:Buildings and structures in Burgas Province
611:. St Vladimir's Seminary Pres. p. 63.
353:
1093:
1079:
814:
800:
676:
674:
672:
670:
715:"Book VII: War with the Scyths (1087-90)"
580:
494:, Oxford University Press, p. 1300,
574:
513:
362:Ruins of the basilica within the castle.
357:
346:who had pitched their tents at Markeli (
338:had conflicts and negotiations with the
706:
680:
667:
507:
484:
397:burial mounds in the surrounding area.
81:
14:
1327:
631:
556:. Cambridge University Press. p.
1074:
795:
737:Curta, Florin; Roman Kovalev (2008).
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606:
547:
480:
478:
476:
474:
472:
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763:
600:
541:
712:
24:
469:
25:
1366:
412:The ruins of a Christian church (
1313:
1102:
1009:
823:
584:(1970). Петър Хр. Петров (ed.).
450:
438:
426:
80:
73:
57:
717:. In Elizabeth A. Dawes (ed.).
334:writes that in 1089 her father
697:
658:
491:Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium
13:
1:
640:. Osprey Publishing. p.
636:Byzantium at war: AD 600-1453
462:
433:Overview of the castle ruins.
774:. Cosimo, Inc. p. 339.
681:Стоянов, Юлий (2007-06-26).
303:Byzantine–Bulgarian conflict
7:
719:The Alexiad of Anna Comnena
488:, ed. (1991), "Markellai",
457:Cross section of a rampart.
268:, was ceded to Bulgaria by
10:
1371:
419:
251:
246:Battle of Marcellae of 792
242:Battle of Marcellae of 756
236:) from the modern town of
228:, the castle lay some 7.5
26:
1311:
1115:
1055:
1034:
1018:
1007:
848:
836:
193:
185:
165:Battle of Marcellae (756)
156:
151:
143:
138:
123:42.6376333°N 26.8965222°E
101:
68:
56:
43:
36:
632:Haldon, John F. (2002).
354:Location and description
290:and reached the capital
286:had plundered Byzantine
161:Byzantine–Bulgarian Wars
1047:2nd Battle of Marcellae
1042:1st Battle of Marcellae
703:Златарски, pp. 330–331.
664:Златарски, pp. 316–317.
324:Nikephoros I Logothetes
721:. Medieval Sourcebook.
607:Louth, Andrew (2007).
548:Curta, Florin (2006).
363:
309:and Byzantine Emperor
258:First Bulgarian Empire
205:
128:42.6376333; 26.8965222
1335:Karnobat Municipality
1160:Castra ad Montanesium
1140:Belogradchik Fortress
830:Karnobat Municipality
685:(in Bulgarian). Черга
361:
770:Bury, J. B. (2008).
330:. Byzantine scholar
1345:Castles in Bulgaria
1109:Castles in Bulgaria
169:Battle of Marcellae
119: /
1235:Matochina Fortress
1145:Bozhenishki Urvich
529:on 29 October 2013
486:Kazhdan, Alexander
364:
336:Alexios I Komnenos
1350:Forts in Bulgaria
1322:
1321:
1250:Palace of Omurtag
1190:Kipilovo Fortress
1068:
1067:
926:Krumovo Gradishte
781:978-1-60520-421-5
756:978-90-04-16389-8
745:. BRILL. p.
651:978-1-84176-360-6
618:978-0-88141-320-5
567:978-0-521-81539-0
515:Димитров, Божидар
501:978-0-19-504652-6
277:Byzantine Emperor
208:) was a medieval
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16:(Redirected from
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582:Златарски, Васил
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525:. Archived from
521:(in Bulgarian).
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328:Battle of Pliska
262:Balkan Mountains
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1355:Byzantine forts
1325:
1324:
1323:
1318:
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1220:Lovech Fortress
1130:Asen's Fortress
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218:Burgas Province
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405:(491–518) or
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395:Ancient Roman
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280:Constantine V
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114:26°53′47.48″E
111:42°38′15.48″N
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42:
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718:
708:
699:
687:. Retrieved
660:
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576:
551:
543:
531:. Retrieved
527:the original
509:
489:
411:
403:Anastasius I
399:
365:
347:
332:Anna Komnene
321:
314:
300:
274:
270:Justinian II
255:
224:. Dating to
197:
177:
176:
152:Site history
956:San Stefano
689:27 December
533:27 December
407:Justinian I
387:prehistoric
126: /
102:Coordinates
1329:Categories
1280:Trapezitsa
1260:Perperikon
996:Zhitosvyat
981:Tserkovski
881:Devetintsi
856:Asparuhovo
463:References
230:kilometres
1305:Vishegrad
1285:Tsarevets
1275:Storgosia
1180:Hisarlaka
1170:Devingrad
1135:Baba Vida
1019:Landmarks
991:Zheleznik
941:Nevestino
906:Hadzhiite
891:Dragantsi
886:Dobrinovo
838:Capital:
594:405296440
348:Marcellae
340:Pechenegs
316:strategoi
284:Kormisosh
214:Bulgarian
210:Byzantine
206:Marcellae
198:Markellai
194:Μαρκέλλαι
182:Bulgarian
144:Condition
18:Marcellae
1225:Lyutitsa
1185:Kaliakra
1150:Byalgrad
971:Sokolovo
951:Raklitsa
931:Krushovo
866:Detelina
861:Cherkovo
849:Villages
841:Karnobat
523:Стандарт
414:basilica
391:Iron Age
376:Varbitsa
322:In 811,
275:In 756,
244:and the
238:Karnobat
222:Bulgaria
147:In ruins
50:Bulgaria
1290:Tsepina
1230:Markeli
1165:Cherven
1035:Culture
1026:Markeli
976:Smolnik
961:Sarnevo
936:Madrino
916:Klikach
896:Dragovo
876:Devetak
871:Glumche
420:Gallery
368:Tundzha
252:History
186:Маркели
178:Markeli
90:Маркели
88:Markeli
39:Маркели
37:Markeli
1295:Urvich
1270:Sostra
1255:Patmos
1245:Monyak
1215:Lardea
1210:Ktenia
1205:Krivus
1200:Krasen
986:Venets
966:Sigmen
921:Kozare
778:
753:
648:
615:
592:
564:
498:
383:Pliska
344:Cumans
307:Kardam
288:Thrace
266:Zagore
171:(792))
157:Events
1300:Ustra
1001:Zimen
946:Ognen
911:Iskra
296:Vineh
234:miles
232:(4.7
202:Latin
190:Greek
776:ISBN
751:ISBN
691:2009
646:ISBN
613:ISBN
590:OCLC
562:ISBN
535:2009
496:ISBN
389:and
374:and
372:Rish
342:and
212:and
747:198
1331::
749:.
727:^
669:^
644:.
642:20
560:.
558:85
471:^
272:.
248:.
204::
200:;
196:,
192::
188:;
184::
167:,
48:,
1094:e
1087:t
1080:v
815:e
808:t
801:v
784:.
759:.
693:.
654:.
621:.
596:.
570:.
537:.
180:(
163:(
31:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
