Smilovene Thracian Residence

The Smilovene Thracian residence lies in the locality of the same name, 9.5 km from Koprivshtitsa and 11 km from Strelcha. Situated on a natural elevation on a ridge to the right of the River Mede Dere, the site exemplifies the architecture of Thracian rulers' residences, known as tyrseis. The archaeologist Daniela Agre suggests that the residence was home to a Thracian dynasty that ruled the area and was probably buried in the funerary structure beneath Zhaba Mound near Strelcha.

The tyrsis is the largest fortified residence discovered in Bulgaria, with a wall surviving to a height of 6 metres in places. Its construction plan is exceptionally detailed, including drainage. Agre believes that the ruler who financed its construction lived there only very briefly, perhaps dying in battle during Philip of Macedon's campaigns in Thrace. According to her hypothesis, the ruler was buried in Zhaba Mound. Despite the residence's wealth, the small quantity of high-quality pottery suggests that it was little inhabited.

Agre suggests that after the ruler's death, probably during Philip of Macedon's campaigns, the dynasty left the tyrsis and his successor did not use the residence. The family may have left the territory. The tomb beneath Zhaba Mound, discovered in 1976, offers further evidence supporting this theory. In Agre's words, the tyrsis at Smilovene is connected with the tomb in Zhaba Mound and served as the home of a Thracian ruler. This site, together with the tomb, was built in the 4th century BC and combines large-scale construction with use during the Roman period.