Lenishte () 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 southeast of

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 13.487 square kilometres and as of 2007 it had a population of 122 people.

Landmarks

Approximately 14 kilometers northwest of the neighboring village of

Dyadovtsi Dyadovtsi () is a village in Ardino Municipality, Kardzhali Province, southern-central Bulgaria. 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 ...

stands an old stone bridge from the early 1500s, known as the Devil’s Bridge. The bridge has remained unchanged for centuries and features a unique hexagon shape on its arch known as "The Sea; of Solomon." Around 13 kilometers west of Lenishte, is the Eagle Rocks area featuring a large rock with about 90 carved niches. These niches are remnants from ancient

Thracian The Thracians (; ; ) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Southeast Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied the area that today is shared between north-eastern Greece, ...

times, used for rituals or burials. Nearby, about 500 meters from the rock, are the remains of Kaleto Fortress. The site, with its old walls and defensive structures, is recognized for its historical significance. Approximately 21 kilometers northwest of Lenishte, 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 ...

, are the ruins of Krivus Fortress. Built in the

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 ...

, this fort was designed to defend the area around 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 ...

and still shows parts of its original walls and towers. Along the left bank of the Borovitsa River, on a rocky outcrop, lies the

Patmos Fortress Patmos () is a medieval fortress in the Rhodope Mountains of southern Bulgaria rising over a promontory near the confluence of the rivers Arda and Borovitsa. A few kilometers to the west upstream the valley of the Arda are located the ruins of t ...

. Dating from the 10th century, it features a largely preserved western wall and archaeological finds include parts of a basilica and a tower.

References

Villages in Kardzhali Province {{Kardzhali-geo-stub