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Perperikon (Hyperperakion) is located 15 km northeast of Kardzhali. It rises on a cliff top at 470 meters altitude. This is one of the oldest and largest Thracian sanctuaries in the Balkans.

It is known that the Greek historian Herodotus also mentions the famous sanctuary of the ancient Thracian god Dionysus-Zagreus, which is located somewhere in the Rhodopi mountain. His priestess was as famous as the Delphic oracle Pythia.

The Roman author Suetonius adds that Alexander the Great himself aswell as the father of the Roman emperor Gaius Octavian visited the sanctuary, to know their fate. One of the first modern authors, mentioning Perperikon, is Constantine Irechek.

According to Professor Nikolai Ovcharov, Perperikon is a sanctuary, which appeared at the end of the Bronze Age and operated until the adoption of Christianity in the Rhodopi Mountains in the early V century. In the sanctuary were kept boards with the writings of Orpheus.

Orpheus is a mythological character whose sad fate and his musical talent are widely known. But the Thracians revere him as a god, somewhat similar to Dionysus, and later – to Jesus Christ.

Perperikon is the main religious center of the Thracian tribes Satri whose priestly clan were the Bessi. Herodotus describes them as freedom-loving and rebellious people. During the ages the name “satri” disappeared and they were referred as Bessi.

In the Late Bronze Age and the early Iron Age Perperikon turned into an impressive cultural center. Around the first century AD. the city obtained its final form. Its center was undoubtedly the palace-sanctuary with large oval hall. In recent years significant parts of the fortress were examined, including the Acropolis at the top of the hill. Archaeologists found the remains of the oldest church ever found in the Rhodopes near the Acropolis. It is believed that there bishop Nikea Remesianski started to preach the christian religion among the locals.

Perperikon retains its brilliance during in the Middle Ages. Excavations carried out each year, reveal more and more facts about this unique archaeological complex. Studies from recent years show that Perperikon fully kept its importance in the Christian era. In the V-VII centuries it was probably an episcopal seat, and in the VIII-XII centuries it became district center directly subordinate to the administration in the capital of the Byzantine Empire. In 2002 at the hill was found a bronze reliquary, which contained a piece of the Holy Cross. The piece can be seen in the church "Assumption" in Kardzhali.

Among other things, Perperikon is associated with legends of fabulous gold treasures. It is believed that in his foot, along the river Perpereshka, gold was mined for more than 15 centuries. One hypothesis considers hence the name of the Byzantine gold coin - "hiperperon" or "perper".