Krakra Fortress

Pernik Fortress, also known as Krakra, is a medieval fortress in the southwestern part of Pernik, on a small rocky plateau. Its strategic location and associated history make it a significant monument of the past. The military commander Krakra, who governed the fortress, is known for his campaigns against the Byzantine Empire during the Middle Ages.
The history of Pernik Fortress begins around 809, when Khan Krum incorporated these lands into Bulgaria. The area had previously been inhabited by Thracians. Archaeological investigations indicate that a Thracian settlement existed here before the fortress was built.
In 977, after the death of Tsar Boris II, Samuel's brother Aaron became ruler of the region around Pernik Fortress. In 997, when Samuel became tsar, the voivode Krakra of Pernik successfully defended the fortress against the Byzantine emperor Basil II. After 1018, when Bulgaria came under Byzantine rule, the fortress played an important role in various events and military operations, including the campaigns of Peter Delyan in 1040 and of Georgi Voyteh and Constantine Bodin in 1072.
Krakra's fortress is one of Bulgaria's large fortresses, enclosing approximately fifty decares within walls nearly 800 metres long. Historians suggest that it served a defensive role before the crusaders passed through these lands during the Third Crusade of 1189–1192. During Stefan Nemanja's campaign against the Byzantine emperor Isaac II Angelos in 1189, the fortress was destroyed. It was subsequently abandoned and never used again.