The ancient name of the Thracian city of Perperikon, located near the city of Kırcaali in Bulgaria, has been confirmed.

As confirmed in the works of the Roman geographer Claudius Ptolemy, the region has been known as “Pergam” since ancient times.

The name “Pergam” was announced on the final day of this year’s archaeological season by the director of the archaeological excavations at the rock-cut city.

Professor Nikolay Ovcharov, noting that Claudius Ptolemy had prepared geographical maps indicating a city of the same name in the middle reaches of the Arda River, stated, “All of these maps, as I have indicated on them, show a city named ‘Pergam’ or ‘Pergamon’ located in the heart of the Rhodope Mountains. “We now know for certain that there is no city larger than Perperikon—and my colleagues will confirm this—not only in the Eastern Rhodopes, but anywhere in the Rhodope Mountains,” he said.

The ancient city has a settlement history dating back 6,000 years. During the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age, the city had become a prominent religious center. Excavations led by Ovcharov in 2000 uncovered a Thracian royal palace filled with temples beneath the old fortress. To date, it remains the only Thracian royal palace from that period to have been discovered.