Tsepina

Tsepina crowns a steep height above the Chepino valley in the western Rhodopes. The fortress was the first seat of Alexius Slav, a nephew of the Bulgarian tsar Kaloyan who established his own domain after his uncle's death. Its walls enclosed churches and reservoirs, while the surrounding mountains helped protect the stronghold. In 1343 or 1344, during the Byzantine civil war, Tsepina was ceded to Bulgaria in return for support against John Kantakouzenos. Ottoman forces took the fortress around 1373 after a long siege.