Dolno Prahovo () is a village in

Ardino Municipality Ardino Municipality is a municipality in Kardzhali Province, Bulgaria. It includes the town of Ardino and 51 nearby villages. Demographics As of December 2018, the municipality of Ardino has 12,792 inhabitants. Only 4,002 inhabitants live in th ...

Kardzhali Province Kardzhali Province () is a province of southern Bulgaria, neighbouring Greece with the Greek regional units of Xanthi, Rhodope, and Evros to the south and east. It is 3209.1 km2 in area. Its main city is Kardzhali. It is Bulgaria's sout ...

, southern-central

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

. It is located from

Sofia Sofia is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Is ...

. It covers an area of 2.2223 square kilometres and as of 2007 had a population of 125 people.

Landmarks

South of the village of Dyadovtsi, approximately 21 kilometers away, the

Devil's Bridge Devil's Bridge is a term applied to dozens of ancient bridges, found primarily in Europe. Most of these bridges are stone or masonry arch bridges and represent a significant technological achievement in ancient architecture. Due to their unusu ...

stands as a historical site from the early

16th century The 16th century began with the Julian calendar, Julian year 1501 (represented by the Roman numerals MDI) and ended with either the Julian or the Gregorian calendar, Gregorian year 1600 (MDC), depending on the reckoning used (the Gregorian calend ...

. This bridge, untouched by reconstruction over the past 500 years, features an engraved hexagon on its central arch, known as The Seal of Solomon. Approximately 3 kilometers northwest of Dolno Prahovo, near

Bashevo Bashevo () is a village in Ardino Municipality, Kardzhali Province, southern-central Bulgaria. It is located from Sofia. It covers an area of 4.647 square kilometres and as of 2013 had a population of 123 people. Some 2 km northwest of the villag ...

, the Krivus fortress is located. This

10th century The 10th century was the period from 901 (represented by the Roman numerals CMI) through 1000 (M) in accordance with the Julian calendar, and the last century of the 1st millennium. In China, the Song dynasty was established, with most of C ...

fortress was built to defend the

Arda River Arda or ARDA may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Arda (Middle-earth), fictional world in the works of J. R. R. Tolkien * Arda (band), a Russian heavy metal band People * Arda (name) Places *Arda (Maritsa), a river in Bulgaria and Greece *Ard ...

region. It includes well-preserved fortifying walls up to 5 meters high, towers, an entrance, and the remains of an ancient church within its grounds. Not far from the Krivus fortress, on a rocky peninsula along the left bank of the Borovica River, is the Patmos Fortress. Also from the 10th century, this fortress is notable for its western wall, which remains largely intact. Archaeological work at the site has uncovered remains of both a basilica and a tower. Between the villages of Dolno Prahovo and

Gorno Prahovo Gorno Prahovo () is a village in Ardino Municipality, Kardzhali Province, southern-central Bulgaria. It is located from Sofia. It covers an area of 8.191 square kilometres and as of 2007 had a population of 561 people. The village of Gorno Prah ...

, on a natural elevation, a mosque complex can be visited. This complex includes a mosque, a madrasa (school), a stone fountain with a donation inscription, and a tomb. Renovations to the complex were completed in 2008-2009, updating the facilities for pilgrims and students.

References

Villages in Kardzhali Province {{Kardzhali-geo-stub