Fortress Ovech

History

It is situated on the mountain plateau, called Kaleto, rising in the east of the town of Provadia. It has a ship shape, whose head points to the south. It is surrounded from all sides by rocks, about 20 m high. Narrow isthmus connects it with another plateau - Tabiite (Defences), situated in the north of Kaleto.
Provadia is a settlement with 15 ages of history. Archeological dating related the oldest traces of human activity in the lands of the worn to the 5th century BC.
It is considered that the town was found as a fortress and a front post of Byzantium against attacking from north war tribes.
Byzantines called it Provaton, Turkish – Tash Hisar, and Bulgarians - Ovech. Provaton in Greek means “Ram Fortress”. This name was literally translated from the Slavonic as Ovech. Later Asparuch’s Bulgarians came and accepted that name, which is used in most of the documents.
The Fortress was initially put up only as a defence premise, quickly turned into relatively large settlement, which is proved by sources mentioning it as a regional centre.
Stone fortress was a witness of different epochs and peoples. In the different periods, it was populated by Thracians, Romans, Byzantines, Jews. It was conquered by knights, Turkish, Russians armies. During the Second Bulgarian Kingdom, Ovech was already an important administrative and military centre, as well as one of the seven settlements of Metropolitans.
For its fast growth and recognition as a military and administrative centre assists it strategic position – the proximity to Pliska, Preslav and Varna (which has been under Bulgarian rule since 681). In fact, in possible conquest of Varna, Ovech would be the main barrier of the road to Pliska, Preslav and Tarnovo.
In 1278, when trying to go through the passages of Balkan Maintains to Tarnovo, two Byzantium armies of 5000 and 10000 solders, lead respectively by Aprin and Murin, found their death under the swords of Tsar Ivailo solders.
The next Byzantium commander Mihail Glava Tarhanoit tried through Varna.
He conquered few fortresses in East Balkan, but was stopped at Ovech. As he was busy with the siege, of his rear, the army of Ivailo arrived and liquidated Byzantines for several days. Mihail Glava (who is considered to have Bulgarian origin) providently “got ill” and got on a ship and set of to Constantinople - leaving his solders to slaughter.
In the fortress were imprisoned the knights of Amedei VI Savoyan, among them the Marshal of Burgundy, captured in unsuccessful siege of Varna in 1366.
Here used to live Tsar Peter II, after he rejected the throne and gave the authority to his younger brother Asen in 1190.His hobby to hunt brought him there, where once there were magnificent woods.
Ovech fell under Turkish rule in 1388, when thirty thousand army commanded by Lala Shahin with deception invaded at night after an armistice was concluded.
The conquers called it Provadia, as well as Tash Hisar. Later the fortress was conquered by Yagshi Bei and 491 years is in the borders of Ottoman Empire. During the march of Vladislav III, Yagelo –Varnenchek was stormed and the garrison was massacred and the fortress fired and destroyed. It also was a centre of liberation rebellion of Frizhin- Ivan Shishman’s son. In the middle of 17th century the fortress fell into decay. The town permanently settled on its present place, in the valley, along the banks of Provadijska River.
Liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman yoke was when Provadia had 3500 inhabitants. Larger part of the Muslim population was moved to Turkey. They are replaced by Bulgarians who came from the near villages and East Turkey. For a short period of time, Provadia is a regional centre in the Principality Bulgaria. As a result of the administrative reform in 1881, it became regional town.
From its fame, have only left the unique bridge structure between the fortress and the plateau Tabiite, a lot of wells for water collection ( one of which is 80 m in dept) and tanks for grain, ruins of the Metropolitan church, watch towers, stone gate, the prison of the knights, marble columns of Omurtag.
The coat of arms of the fortress is the eagle, painted onto the ring-seals, found in the fortress.
Until recently, the bottom of the well was choked after the 20th meter debt, because each tourist who climbed the plateau threw inside a stone, believing that in this way the desire to come back again would come true. During restoration works of the fortress, workers used it as a place for throwing construction waste. Recently was performed organized cleaning of the well by Provadia Municipal, when the well was enlightened and safeguarded. Its debt is about 80 m. , 4 of which are under the rock massive. At the bottom, an exit wasn’t found, but only water collection equipment.
Bridge structure at the central north gate to the other plateau – Tabiite was restored. All these activities were on the Project – Through the eyes of the time – nature and culture, funded by PHAR program and completed by Provadia Municipality. In the last two years, archaeological excavations in Ovech were restored. They give new data about the establishment and existence of the fortress.

Legends

The legend of the fortress defence
According to this legend, Adyghes had under siege Ovech for months. Local population, however, built iron system for defence and communicated with fires, if in the distance an enemy appeared. As soon as such appeared, they raised the moving bridge, which connected the plateau with the surroundings. In the deep karst caves, there were huge reserves with grain, and the famous well, supplied the people under siege with fresh water. According to the legends, it could be used as an emergency exit as well. Local people tell, that long time ago, in the hole of the well, a coloured duck was dropped. The bird, came to the surface in two days in Petrov Dol, which is 12 kilometres away of the fortress.