Just a few minutes away from the “Trakia” highway lays the ancient city of Kabyle. The remains of the once important Thracian capital today are waiting for you to stop by on the way to the sea and Bourgas. And you won’t regret it. For many reasons. First of all because of its unique historical museum where the history of Kabyle will get alive before your eyes.
The town was established in the 2nd century BC on the hill of Zaichev vruh / The rabbits’ peak/ that still hides its secrets. In 341st BC it was conquered by Philip of Macedonia. There are signs that it was visited also by his son Alexander the Great. The ruler wanted to erase the cult of the goddess Cybele. He ordered to build a temple that should have blocked the flow of the priest to the sanctuary of Zaychev vruh. But at the end, it was destroyed long ago before the sanctuary of Kibela on the peak above.
Kabyle was briefly the capital of the kingdom of the Thracians Odrysian after the death of Seuthes III at the time of the Kings Spartok and Skostok. During the 2-3 century BC, the city had its own mint and chopped coins here. After the Thracian kingdom comes the Roman Empire to leave its mark on Kabyle.
The city became one of the most important Roman military camps in the province of Thrace. At that time the city reaches a population of about 4000 people, 500 of them are Roman soldiers. Even today you can see the remains of the barracks, the urban bathroom, the public toilets and the private bathroom of a rich man. After the adoption of Christianity, the city became the center of the episcopate. From that time dates the central basilica, which still impresses with its size.
Kabyle was destroyed by the Avars attacks in the 6th century AD to resurrect as a small village back in the Middle Ages. Undoubtedly the most mystical place that we recommend you to look at are the remains of the sanctuary of Zaychin vruch. To get there you can walk up the steep path to the top. And to have a rest in the middle of the way at the panoramic site and to enjoy the view.
When you reach the top you must use your imagination or to ask your tour guide so you can see the image of the goddess Cybele on the back of a lion drawn in the rocks. The sun was touching it with its rays on 22 June – the solar equinox One theory says that the sanctuary was an ancient astronomical observatory. Because of the slow draining of the water after rain, it becomes clear that the hill where it is build is actually hollow. Subsequently, it was proved by Soviet scientists. But no one is willing to answer what lies behind this fact.
Others claim that the energy of the place is very special and even prove it with measurements. And they say it is clear that if you stand up every day on top you will get rid of every illness and will normalize your blood pressure. To convince yourself whether there is anything special in Kabyle archaeological reserve and the peak Zaychin vruh you have to pay an entrance fee of 6 leva /approximately 3 euro/. The price for students is 4 lev /approximately 2 euro/. The opening hours are between 8 a.m. And 6 p.m.