Asen's Fortress - a medieval fortress in the Rhodopes, located on the hill of the left bank of the river Chepelarska south 2-3 kilometers from Asenovgrad. According to the data, based on archaeological excavations, the first fortifications on this territory appeared in the IX century. In particular, it found a coin show times ruler of Theophilus.

Asen's Fortress is an important center that controlled movement through the river valley to the Aegean Sea from Plovdiv. This was facilitated by a favorable location right in the Rhodope Mountains.

The original castle was a small tower, around which, over time, to settle the rural construction. Later, they stood out in two tiny villages - Stenimaka and Petrich.

The first mention of Asen's Fortress found in the statute of the Bachkovo monastery XI century: there we are talking about, "fortified settlement Petrich." By the way, this settlement existed only until the XIV century. In the period, which fell on the Third Crusade, captured the fortress, then it is referred to as Skribentsion.

The fortress was rebuilt in 1231, during the reign of Ivan Asen II. According to the inscription on the wall, the restructuring was necessary for the defense of the Bulgarians from the Latins. The height of the walls was the 12 meters, width - 3 m. In fact it was a feudal castle. Today, there you can see the three survivors of the tank-reservoir and three dozen different rooms.

A well preserved Temple of the Assumption of Our Lady of XII-XIII centuries. This two-storey single-nave cross-domed church. Inside the church is decorated with frescoes by masters of the XIV century.

The fortress was invaded by the Byzantines after the death of the Bulgarian Tsar Asen II, it was again returned to the Bulgarian tsar John Alexander, closer to the middle of the XIV century. But after the Turks captured it. During this period, the castle was abandoned, only the church functioned.

Russian in 1878, closing in on the Ottoman troops repulsed with the village and the ruins of Stanimaka Asen's Fortress. In 1934 the town was renamed to Asenovgrad, and in the 70s in the fortress began intensive archaeological work.

By 1991, experts have completed the restoration of the fortress, and it became a national cultural monument.