Heraclea Sintica, the Ancient City Rediscovered at Rupite
Heraclea Sintica is an ancient city in the Struma valley of south-western Bulgaria, with ruins near the village of Rupite, in Petrich municipality, at the foot of the volcanic Kozhuh hill. Founded in the Hellenistic age and still alive under Rome, it was long a puzzle on the map. Digs since 2007 keep turning up surprises, from a marble Hermes to a workshop for ceramic masks.
For over a century scholars argued about where this city lay, and it was long sought south of the border, in Greece. A chance find of a Latin inscription in 2002 settled the question.
The history of Heraclea Sintica
Heraclea Sintica stood on a trade route in the valley of the Struma, the Strymon of the ancients, and its first name was Sintike, after the Thracian Sinti who lived in the region. The Roman historian Livy places the city in their territory. Sources disagree on how it began. The English-language account credits Philip II of Macedon, who around the middle of the fourth century BCE settled Macedonians from Heraclea in Mygdonia here. Bulgarian researchers, relying on finds from the cemetery and on coins, place the foundation in the last decades of that century and suggest that Philip V later renamed Sintike as Heraclea.
Under the Antigonid kings Heraclea was one of the Macedonian cities. When Rome divided Macedonia into four parts in 167 BCE, Livy lists it among the places west of the Strymon in the first of them. Ancient writers mention its native general Asclepiodotus and Demetrius, son of Philip V, who was killed here. The city struck its own coins, and some have survived. In 350 CE the envoys of the usurper Magnentius met Emperor Constantius II at Heraclea Sintica and proposed peace, which he refused.
In 308 CE the emperor Galerius and the caesar Maximinus Daia wrote to the citizens, answering their request to have lost city rights restored. A powerful earthquake later struck; sources date it to 388 or to about 425 CE. It wrecked much of the infrastructure, including the civic basilica, and the nearby Strumeshnitsa river flooded the forum. After 457 small groups settled again among the ruins, but by about 500 no permanent habitation could be seen and the city was effectively abandoned. Urban life later shifted to the ancient town near modern Sandanski.
For more than a hundred years scholars could not agree where the city lay; it was often placed south of the Rupel gorge, in present-day Greece. In March 2002 a large marble stele with a 24-line Latin text, the letter of 308, turned up by chance near Rupite. Georgi Mitrev of Plovdiv University translated and published it, and a second inscription, published before 2005, naming a citizen of Heraclea confirmed that this was Heraclea Sintica and not one of the many other cities of that name.
Atanas Milchev dug here briefly in 1958, but systematic excavations began in 2007 under Lyudmil Vagalinski, and the site is linked to the Historical Museum in Petrich. A geophysical survey revealed a workshop for ceramic masks, probably made for a theatre that has not yet been found. In 2024 diggers found a marble statue of Hermes, almost two metres tall, laid in an ancient sewer and covered with earth, apparently on purpose. Later campaigns in the western necropolis added a late Roman portrait relief, a figurine of the Celtic goddess Epona and, in 2026, a fourth-century grave of a woman of apparently high status.
Curious facts about Heraclea Sintica
- For over a hundred years scholars argued about the city's location, and it was long thought to lie south of the Rupel gorge, in what is now Greece.
- The discovery that settled the matter was accidental: a large Latin inscription found in 2002 carried a 24-line letter from the emperor Galerius, dated 308 CE.
- The Hermes statue found in 2024 had been placed carefully in an ancient sewer and covered with soil, which suggests that the citizens buried it on purpose.
- Geophysical survey revealed a studio for making ceramic masks, evidently meant for an ancient theatre that has still not been discovered.
- Among the finds of the 2025 season was a figurine of Epona, a Celtic goddess, far from the lands usually linked with her cult.
- The site is on the list of the 100 national tourist sites compiled by the Bulgarian Tourist Union.
Tours near Heraclea Sintica
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting Heraclea Sintica: what to expect
- The ruins lie on the southern slope and at the foot of Dzhonkov Vrah, part of the volcanic Kozhuh hill, next to the village of Rupite.
- Excavations have continued since 2007, so what can be seen may change from season to season; check the current access conditions and opening hours before you go.
- The site is linked to the Historical Museum in Petrich, which is the place to ask about finds and what is on display.
- Kordopulov House (about 14 km) and Rozhen Monastery (about 16 km) are the nearest other places on this guide.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Heraclea Sintica is
Photos of Heraclea Sintica
Questions
What is Heraclea Sintica?
Heraclea Sintica is an ancient Greek and later Roman city in the Struma valley of south-western Bulgaria. Its ruins are being excavated near the village of Rupite.
Where is Heraclea Sintica?
It lies near the village of Rupite in Petrich municipality, on the southern slope and at the foot of Dzhonkov Vrah, part of the volcanic Kozhuh hill.
How was Heraclea Sintica found?
Its location was debated for over a century. In 2002 a large Latin inscription, a letter of the emperor Galerius from 308 CE, was found near Rupite, and a second inscription later confirmed the identification.
How old is Heraclea Sintica?
The city dates from the fourth century BCE, although sources differ on whether Philip II or a later Macedonian king founded or renamed it. It declined after an earthquake and was abandoned by about 500 CE.
Can visitors see excavations at Heraclea Sintica?
Systematic excavations have run since 2007, so the situation on the ground changes. It is wise to check the current access conditions and opening hours before the trip.
What else is worth seeing near Heraclea Sintica?
Kordopulov House is about 14 km away and Rozhen Monastery about 16 km.
Also nearby
Kordopulov House
Melnik · 1754 wine mansion with a cellar cut into the rock
14 km away
Rozhen Monastery
Melnik · Pirin's largest monastery, frescoes and sacred icon
16 km away
Church of the Holy Trinity in Bansko
Bansko · a modest-looking church with a grand Revival interior
47 km away
Nicopolis ad Nestum
Garmen · Roman walls, baths and mosaics by the Mesta
47 km away