South-West University "Neofit Rilski"

This virtual cultural tour is a journey to the largest and the most attractive for the cultural tourism megalithic sanctuaries in the cross-border region Bulgaria - Greece, situated along the Struma River from the region of the town of Serres in the Republic of Greece to the region of the town of Blagoevgrad in the Republic of Bulgaria.

Rock sanctuary "The Black Rock"

1. We start our journey from the town of Sidirokastro, region of Serres, Republic of Greece. The region of Sidirokastro is full of beautiful rock formations. Northeast of the town is the remarkable rock sanctuary "The Black Rock". It was studied archaeologically by the famous Greek archaeologist Katerina Peristeri. It is situated in a small fault between the continental rocks, where a cult niche carved in the rock dominates. It is high in the northern part lit by the sun and can be accessed by steps carved in the rock ending with a three-level site. The steps are much destroyed. There is an inscription "APOLLON", part of the body of Apollo, a body of god Pan without head and other fragments of female statues of Nymphs. According to the archaeological finds, the sanctuary dates from the 2nd century AD until the 4^th century AD.

The rock sanctuary "The Black Rock". Fault rock and the sacralized cave	A rock-cut niche in the Northern plumb of the sanctuary	The rock sanctuary "The Black Rock". The sacred spring of the nymphs

General location view	The new wall from inside the cave -  Early Christian period, 4th century AD

On a lower level there were springs forming a small lake which no longer exists due to new drainage works in the area. In the depth of the fault there was a sacred cave, which after the destruction of the cult sanctuary in the 4th century AD was inhabited by shepherds in its present form.

The Rock Sanctuary "Black Rock", dedicated to Apollo, Nymphs and God Pan from the 2^nd century AD, shows the connection of the location with pagan cults, which are also found in other regions of the Balkans. The sanctuary is accessible by asphalt road, 3 km northeast of the town of Sidirokastro.

Monumental rock tombs the region of St. Dimitrios and St. Zona church

In the eastern part of Sidirokastro, on the sheer cliffs in the region of St. Dimitrios and St. Zona church we find two cut monumental rock tombs. Their entrances are shaped like facades of antique temples, ending upstairs with a triangular gable. One of the tombs was later transformed into a Christian temple. Today it is included as part of the interior of the architectural church of St. Dimitrios and St. Zona. The burial room of the tomb serves as an altar of a modern Christian temple.

The church of St. Dimitrios and St. Zona near Sidirokastro. Exterior. Rock-cut tomb with a facade, shaped like an ancient temple	The church of St. Dimitrios and St. Zona near Sidirokastro. Interior	The icon of St. Zona covered with votive gifts. The church of St. Dimitrios and St. Zona

The facade of another tomb is also shaped as a silhouette of an ancient temple. It is located directly north of the temple of St. Dimitrios and St. Zone. It is left unfinished in antiquity. The icon of St. Zona gives health to worshippers. We find it covered all over with votive gifts.

The monuments are 2 km east of the city center of Siderokastro on an asphalt road.

The Chapel of St. Panteleimon

We continue north, crossing the Bulgarian-Greek border at Promahon/Kulata and we reach the hinterland of the ancient town of Heraclea Sintica (near the village of Rupite, Petrich Municipality, Republic of Bulgaria).

The Chapel of St. Panteleimon is situated on the left bank of the Struma river in the sheer monumental cliffs (between the present-day villages Levunovo and General Todorov). The holy place was studied by the research team of Prof. Vasil Markov from Southwest University "Neofit Rilski" in Blagoevgrad. The chapel has inherited an ancient Thracian megalithic sanctuary, carved into sacralized rocks. The sacred cave, located in its north end has been transformed into a rock church.

The rock chapel of St. Panteleimon. Interior	An ancient relief instead of an icon in the apse of the rock chapel of St. Panteleimon

At the altar of the rock church, instead of an icon there is a built-in ancient relief, thought today as the image of the saint. At the southern end of the sanctuary, a small passage cave is located, facing west to the sunset. People believe that St. Panteleimon used to live here. People perform different healing rituals in the cave. To become healthy, they pass through it, tie red thread to the ladder, the bushes and the rocks, leave Geranium and other flowers on the icon of the saint and light candles in sacralized cave. Once they used to boil the pebbles chipped off the cave in water which they drank to become healthy.

The cave - St. Panteleimon's home. Exterior	Traces of traditional healing practices in the cave of St. Panteleimon

The Bulgarian people's faith has preserved a remarkable legend about this holy place, also known as the "Bee Rock".

The legend says that when the Turks came to these lands, the mighty Bulgarian hero Krali Marko fought with them. Failing to defeat them, he retreated in this rock together with his mother and they made a home here. The two of them started to breed bees here. The bees are still there today. However, no one can reach the honey and it drips into the Struma River. Most probably it refers to а legacy of an ancient Thracian myth dedicated to the Great Goddess, whose earliest zoomorphic image is the bee, as well as her son -the male deity in ancient Thrace inherited from the folklore hero Krali Marko.

St. Panteleimon's cave over the Struma River. A view inside out	The Bee Rock, home of Krali Marko and his mother, according to the folk legend

The sanctuary is reachable by an asphalt road. It is only 4 km away from the village of Levunovo, Sandanski as well as from the village of General Todorov, Petrich region.