An ancient astronomical observatory of more than 2 600 years can be seen only ten kilometers from the spa resort of Hissarya. Unfortunately, the 24 stone pillars found in 2002 by the late archaeologist Georgi Kitov are far from being in a brilliant condition today. Only a small part of the pillars up to 2 meters high stand in their circle. The cromlech of Cholakova Mound in the village of Staro Jelezare needs a rescue.

You can learn more about the so-called Bulgarian Stonehenge, if you visit the exhibition “The Thoughts of the Thracians” until 30 April at the Credo Bonum Gallery. You will also see pictures made by Kitov when excavating the ancient facility. The time, water, and unscrupulous people then have failed to destroy the preserved millennium.

Today, unfortunately, in the immediate vicinity of the unique site is the dump of the village. The cromlech is hard to be found. In order to find it, you have to take your car from Staro Jelezare to Plovdiv and turn off after the end of the village on the second dirt road to the left. The first one actually leads to the illegal landfill. And although the ancient site is wounded, the rest of the stones will impress you – the size, the weight and the way they are raised and placed.

To save the unique facility, there is a  foundation that collects funds to protect it. The state claims that it does not have the resources to take care of the unique monument and therefore proposed a few years ago to cover the mound in order to preserve the unique place for the future, as they had done in ancient times, for reasons unknown so far. If you are on holiday in Hisarya or the surrounding area or have your way through the village of Staro Jelezare, do not miss to visit the ancient observatory. Only the interest of tourists can save the cromlech of destruction and oblivion.