Mezek

Mezek Мезек
The medieval Mezek Fortress
Mezek Location of Mezek
Coordinates: 41°43′N 26°4′E / 41.717°N 26.067°E / 41.717; 26.067Coordinates: 41°43′N 26°4′E / 41.717°N 26.067°E / 41.717; 26.067
Country	Bulgaria
Provinces (Oblast)	Haskovo
Government
- Mayor	Tsonka Dimitrova
Elevation	167 m (548 ft)
Population (2009)[1]
- Total	371
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
- Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal Code	6521
Area code(s)	03777

Mezek (Bulgarian: Мезек) is a village in southeastern Bulgaria, part of Svilengrad municipality, Haskovo Province. It lies at the foot of the eastern Rhodope Mountains, just north of the Bulgaria–Greece border and not far west of the Bulgaria–Turkey border. Mezek is famous for the well-preserved medieval Mezek Fortress (Neoutzikon) and its two ancient Thracian beehive tombs, the Mezek and Sheynovets tombs. The village is also well-known for its own winery and the Mezzek brand of Bulgarian wine.^[2]

The Mezek Fortress, 6.5 decares (6,500 m²) in area, is claimed to be among the best preserved Bulgarian medieval castles. It dates to the 11th century. Along with the Thracian tombs, it was studied by a team under archaeologist Bogdan Filov in 1931–1932. The castle has nine towers, five of which lie at the vulnerable south wall. The Mezek Fortress was built out of stone, with two decorative lines of bricks on the outside. It suffered some destruction around 1900, when stones from the fortress were used for the construction of Ottoman barracks in Svilengrad.^[3]

The Mezek Thracian tomb dates to the 4th century BC. It is a large, elongated tomb that includes a covered passage of 20.65 metres (67.7 ft), two rectangular antechambers of different size and a round burial chamber with a stone sarcophagus. The number of burials of noble Thracians in the tomb was no less than four. Gold, silver, bronze, iron and glass items and pottery discovered in the tomb are today displayed in the National Archaeological Museum in Sofia.^[3]

Mezek Peak in Imeon Range on Smith Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after Mezek.

References

1. ^ Таблица на населението по постоянен и настоящ адрес 15.03.2009
2. ^ "Our Wines — Mezzek". Katarzyna Estate. http://www.katarzyna.bg/pub/wine/5. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "Средновековна крепост с.Мезек" (in Bulgarian). Исторически музей — Свиленград. http://svilengrad.artcity2008.com/?p=22. Retrieved 2011-02-23.