Once upon a time, long, long ago, there was a big battle near Bozhenitsa. Not only the men were taken away for this battle, but also the women, leaving only one woman for every 40 children.
Ivan Konev
Dear friends, it is with incomparable pleasure that I would like to present to you another more than impressive Bulgarian fortress that resisted the raids of the Ottoman enslavers at the end of the Second Bulgarian State.
How do you get to "Bozhenishki Urvich" fortress?
The starting point is the charming village of Bozhenitsa.
Entering the village of Bozhenitsa, turn right at the first junction. You keep going straight until you reach the town hall building, on which this cavalry of Shishman warriors will meet you.
Here you also turn right. In front of you is the bridge over the Bebresh River.
You proceed carefully on it. Then you drive straight until you arrive at a wide parking lot where you can leave your vehicle.
From the parking lot, the road continues to the Municipal Recreation Center "Urvich".
Opposite the recreation center you will find wooden gazebos with tables and benches for resting and eating and drinking outdoors.
From here the path to the fortress "Bozhenishki Urvich" starts.
The path itself leading to the fortress is in excellent condition!
The climb is strenuous due to the unevenness, so I recommend taking it with enough breaks. In about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the number and length of breaks taken, you'll be up.
In front of you is the northern fortress wall of the medieval stone fortification "Bozhenishki Urvich" and currently an archaeological monument with the status of an object of national importance!
The fortress was built on the northern slope of the Lakavish hill at 750 meters above sea level as a separate unit of the Staroplanina fortification system and with the main task of deterring the raids of the barbarian tribes south of the Danube river.
This Bulgarian fortress was designed not only to control passages and roads, but in case of military danger it sheltered the surrounding population behind its strong and impregnable walls.
In 1918, a terrible storm arose in the area. A mighty and ancient sycamore tree cannot withstand the strong gusts of the fierce winds and falls to the ground. It turns out that the roots of the tree held a secret that remained hidden for five centuries.
Climb the wooden steps in front of you, because the small metal bars still guard today this secret, which I will now reveal to you.
"Bozhenishki Urvich" fortress is an exceptional historical monument - refuge and home of the boyar Ognen (Ognyan) - cephalon under Tsar Ivan Shishman.
Sevast Ognen (Ognyan), living the last days of the Bulgarian state and defending it from the ferocious raids of the Ottoman hordes on the Bulgarian land, in a fateful moment decided to leave his message for future generations.
The boyar called his trusted serf Dragomir and ordered to carve an inscription in the rock near the fortress:
Аз Драгомир писах.
Аз севаст Огнян бях при цар Шишмана кефалия и много зло патих.
В това време турците воюваха.
Аз поддържах вярата на Шишмана царя.
I Dragomir wrote.
I, Sevast Ognyan, was with King Shishmana Kephalia and I suffered a lot.
At that time the Turks were at war.
I maintained the faith of Shishman the king.
It is very likely that this inscription is the result of a deep grief on the part of the boyar, who suffered a lot, but nevertheless continued to support the last king of Tarn and remained loyal to him until the very end, unlike many others like him!
It is precisely this spontaneity and ease of speech that make this inscription, a kind of rock monument from the end of the Second Bulgarian State, unique!
Academician Petar Mutafchiev, who was the first to read and interpret the Bozhenishka inscription, notes that the "cutter" of the inscription "did not take care to measure the plane on which he worked in advance. He started with capital letters, but seeing that the space he had , it will not be enough for him to reduce the size of the letters and increase, where possible, the length of the lines..."
Dear friends, this is the information board that I shot especially for you. It was placed on the big sternya - the ancient water tank of the fortress.
I have already introduced you to point 1 of the legend - the rock inscription of Sevast Ognen.
Now we will walk together each of the points of the legend, and I will perfectly visualize through photo moments and video the place, so that you too feel its unique beauty, as I captured it on that sunny, warm autumn day.
And since this is "Photo Moments" and everything here is presented in the best possible way so that you - my magnificent audience - get the best experience, at certain points we will jump to Historical Museum - Botevgrad (my best regards thanks - you're a great team!) to back up every written word with real evidence.
We continue with point 2 of the legend - the ancient sternya-reservoir.
You will find it right by the path and opposite the wooden stairs leading to the rock inscription.
The reservoir is impressive! It is 10 meters deep and is therefore currently covered with a strong metal structure. Its walls are plastered with mortar.
Along the entire length from the stern you will see long and perfectly preserved fortress stone walls.
The hundreds of arrowheads and spearheads, stone battle balls and skeletons of fighters found next to them confirm the legend of the battle of the boyar Sevast Ognen with the Ottoman hordes in 1395.
These ramparts are point 3 of the legend. Three fortress belts were discovered, two of which were built at the end of the 5th century, the beginning of the 6th century, and one from the 14th century, during the time of the last king of Tarn, Ivan Shishman.
The inner fortress wall is 200 meters long and almost three meters wide in places, the outer wall is up to 6 meters high and has four buttresses.
Continuing in this direction, we reach the fortress tower - point 4 of the legend.
The fortress observation and defense tower is built in the most northwestern part of the fortress.
The tower maintained an observation link with the surrounding fortifications - Panitsa Kale above the present-day village of Lipnitsa, Valchigrad above Litakovo, Cheshkovgrad above the Vrachesh Monastery and Bodilovgrad in front of Vitinia. From the tower led a secret exit seven and a half meters long and a hiding place for eight people, currently filled with earth.
Foundations of buildings can be seen along the inner side of the fortress wall.
During archaeological investigations, some of the first objects discovered were ceramics, fragments of glass vessels and early Byzantine coins from Justin I (reigned from 518 to 527) and Justinian I, (reigned from 527 to 565), which in turn means that it is very likely that the fortress was built much earlier - precisely during this period.
These building foundations are under item 5 in the legend.
Next is position 6 - undiscovered foundations of buildings, which you will find south of the fortress wall and at the same time overgrown with dense vegetation.
Now we will return again to the most northwestern part of the fortress - to the fortress tower.
Next to the tower itself is a huge rock on which a second rock inscription has been deciphered!
The events surrounding the defense and the fall of this Bulgarian fortress under Turkish slavery have prevented another inscription on the rock from being completed right here - in this place where the "cutter" managed to write only the name "fire".
Be especially careful on the steps and hold on to the railing!
Climbing the steps, past the huge rock, we come across a rock massif to the west - point 8 of the legend.
This is how an impenetrable fortress is built!
You find the nearest naturally impenetrable sheer cliffs and create an impregnable fortress in that place!
The panoramas
There were also legends about the beauties revealed by the impenetrable rocks of "Bozhenishki Urvich"! Of course, I had to see for myself, it shouldn't, it's not right, and I don't want to mislead you! I confirm! I can honestly say that the views from this place are magnificent!
Amazing panoramas - a wonderful autumnal magnificence of colors unfolding towards the northern slopes of the Botevgrad Pre-Balkan!
Greatness of miracles! If I were a poet I wouldn't find and arrange the correct rhymes! You look and you don't look at yourself! You breathe and you can't get enough!
Bulgaria is extremely beautiful!
From the rock massif to the west, we continue to the south, where two observation posts and a battleground await us - points 9, 10 and 11, respectively.
I would especially like to draw your attention! The rocks are extremely high and very dangerous! Be careful and keep an eye on the children!
We are at the southernmost point of the fortress.
This is the so-called "Voivode's stone" - the main observation point of the fortress.
According to historians, the burial place of Sevast Ognen (Ognyan) is located on the rock massif in front of the exposed "Voivodeship Stone".
What a hardness!
From point 11 - observation post we head to point 12 - rock niche.
From the rock niche we go to the rock chapel - point 13 of the legend.
Well-fortified wooden steps with a railing lead up to the rock chapel.
We climb slowly and carefully!
The rock chapel itself is quite interesting – it is carved directly into the solid rock.
In summer, the rock chapel is home to a family of swallows.
I try to imagine with what diligence this solid rock was cut! I'm amazed!
Going back down the wooden steps of the rock chapel, we head towards the rock massif to the east – point 14 of the legend.
Rock Massif East is a huge rock, which at the first moment will leave you with the impression that it cannot and should not be climbed. It is actually easy to climb and what you need is a little courage, which I am now going to pass on to you.
Here's a photo moment of my shadow going down to where you can climb the rock mass east. For this purpose, from the rock chapel, continue along the narrow path leading past the unexposed ramparts to the easternmost point of the fortress. Standing on this narrow path and looking at the huge rock in front of you, look for places on it to get a firm footing as you climb it. With more courage - boldly and upwards!
I was definitely not prepared for this greatness!
The view unfolding from the rocky massif to the east in all directions is deeply impressive!
I advise you to stay here longer and enjoy this spectacular sublimity!
The next video will show you the easternmost point of the fortress, along the undiscovered fortress walls - point 15 of the legend, going out on a series of steep and impenetrable rocks.
Dear friends, I am grateful to you for walking around the entire fortress with me!
For your further information, I will share that the citadel has an area of 80 square meters and the area of the whole fortress is 1600 square meters.
Before I leave this place full of unreserved courage, trembling history, true loyalty, determination, steadfastness, firmness, courage and much bravery, I take one last look at the proud remains of the northern fortress wall and seal this photo moment in the autumn golden leaves.
Goodbye, Bozenishki Urvich!
Sleep peacefully, Bulgarian warriors, your last sleep! You fought valiantly, with great courage and displayed great courage, but the invader outnumbered you many times over!
We, today's Bulgarians, know about your bravery!
Sleep peacefully, because Bulgaria is alive and your sacrifice was not in vain!
Dear friends, I sincerely hope that this walk has charmed you as it deeply touched me!
I advise you to definitely visit the following link, because I have prepared for you a very special photo album overflowing with beauty!
Until new photo moments, friends!