Nebet Tepe

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  The Nebet Tepe Hill archaeological site, located in the northern part of the Three Hills, contains various archaeological layers, the earliest one dated to the Bronze Age, the 3th millennium B.C. Archaeologists have discovered some rock-cuttings and places for sacrifices and offerings to the Gods, providing evidence of the existence of a Thracian rocky sanctuary and a Thracian rocky sanctuary and a Thracian settlement on the site, which were later conquered by Philip II of Macedon ( the father of Alexander the Great ) in 342 B.C. He left a garrison here and probably reinforced the small Thracian fortress on Nebet Tepe hill. The fortifications of the hill and the city in the plain passed successively under different rules. For a short period during the 2nd century B.C. the area was under Philip V. In the years prior to the establishment of Roman rule in Thrace the city was under the reign of the last Thracian kings, Rhoemetalces I and Rhoemetalces II. Throughout the years the fortifications were repeatedly demolished, reconstructed and extended. The Turkish name Nebet Tepe (meaning “Defensive Tower Hill”) reveals the significance of the place throughout the ages; since the remote past, it has served as a watchtower over the Maritsa river, a fortified Thracian sanctuary and an area traditionally occupied by the garrisons. The preserved remains display several types of building techniques, related generally to the pre-Roman period (5th – 1st centuries B.C. ), the Roman period (1st – 4th centuries A.D.) the early Byzantine period (5th – 6th centuries A.D.) and the Middle Ages (10th – 14th centuries A.D.).
  The constant human presence here contributed to the significant damage to most buildings and facilities dated to the early periods; as a result, only the fortifications, several reservoirs and parts of  buildings, probably barracks and food storehouses, have been preserved and restored. The numerous objects of everyday life, discovered during archaeological investigations, and the remarkable ritual fireplace, aeshara, have been exhibited at the Archaeological museum.