THE NAMELESS TOWN – ST. NIKOLA ARCHAEOLOGICAL COMPLEX

The Nameless Town is located 4 km southeast of the town of Bansko in the direction of Dobrinishte, in the area of St. Nicholas.

Studies in St. Nikola location start in 2003 when the foundations of an early Christianity basilica are found, which is restored with donations with approval and by the instructions of the National Institute of the Monuments of Culture, together with its adjacent necropolis. In 2007 regular archeological excavations begin. The settlement is located in the northeastern end of Pirin National Park at altitude of 1100 meters and is 4,5 km away eastwards from Bansko. It is erected on natural stone hill with sheer abyss from three sides being 100-120 m high. The foundations of plenty of lime mortar-fixed stone walls of buildings and structures with preserved height of up to 3,00-3,20 m and thickness of 0,65 m are found. All they are surrounded by a fortification wall erected with quite bigger and processed stones, 1,10-1,20m thick, which outlines an area of about six decares, comprising the internal city. The settlement has been fired once, but the stone walls have been restored, however fixed with clay. The bores made outside the fortification wall, where the foundations of stone buildings continue being found, make us suggest that the area of the settlement is about 25-30 decares. Plenty of earthenware pots in different forms and sizes, ceramic plates for construction and floorings, tegulas of roof constructions, loop loads are found. Iron objects are very diverse: spears, arrows, knives, hoes, axes, needles, pickaxes, wedges, nails, etc. Ornaments are mainly made of bronze and iron and comprise hairpins, bracelets, earrings, rings, buttons, belt buckles. Great amount of window glass fragments and different sized vessels are found. Coins are most diversified, made of different metals and covering a long time period – 4th century BC – 18th century AD. 

Materials found until now show that this is the time of existence of the settlement. It is interesting that the name and location of this settlement, which has experienced great economic prosperity, as the archeological materials found show, are not mentioned anywhere in historiogprahy, sources and local myths and legends. This is the only place viewing the entire Razlog valley from where all strategic roads can be seen. The road to Nikopolis ad Nestum goes to the east, through the Momina Kula Pass, the road to the Thracian valley goes to the north, through the Yundola Pass, and the road to Skaptopara /Blagoevgrad/ and the interior of Bulgaria goes to the west, through the Predela Pass.