Mezek

{{Short description|Village in Haskovo, Bulgaria}} {{Infobox settlement  | official_name = | native_name = Мезек | subdivision_type = [[Countries of the world|Country]] | subdivision_name = {{BUL}} | subdivision_type1 = [[Provinces of Bulgaria|Provinces]]<br><small>(Oblast)</small> | timezone = [[Eastern European Time|EET]] | utc_offset = +2 | timezone_DST = [[Eastern European Summer Time|EEST]] | utc_offset_DST = +3 | map_caption = Location of Mezek | pushpin_map = Bulgaria  | pushpin_label_position =  | pushpin_map_caption = Location of Mezek | pushpin_relief = 1 | pushpin_mapsize = | leader_title = Mayor | postal_code_type = Postal Code | image_skyline = Mezek Village.jpg | image_caption = Mezek seen from the fortress | subdivision_name1 = [[Haskovo Province|Haskovo]] | population_total = 371 | population_footnotes = <ref>[http://grao.bg/tna/tab02.txt Таблица на населението по постоянен и настоящ адрес 15.03.2009]</ref> | population_as_of = 2009 | elevation_m = 167 | postal_code = 6521 | area_code = 03777 | coordinates = {{coord|41|44|16|N|26|05|01|E|region:BG|display=inline,it}} | leader_name = Veselina Teoharova }}

'''Mezek''' ({{langx|bg|Мезек}}) is a village in southeastern [[Bulgaria]], part of [[Svilengrad]] municipality, [[Haskovo Province]]. It lies at the foot of the eastern [[Rhodope Mountains]], just north of the Bulgaria–[[Greece]] border and not far west of the Bulgaria–[[Turkey]] border. Mezek is famous for the well-preserved medieval [[Mezek Fortress]] (Neoutzikon - Νεούτζικον) and its two ancient [[Thracians|Thracian]] [[beehive tomb]]s, the Mezek and Sheynovets tombs. The village is also well known for its own winery and the Mezzek brand of [[Bulgarian wine]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.katarzyna.bg/pub/wine/5|title=Our Wines — Mezzek|publisher=Katarzyna Estate|accessdate=2009-05-31|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090411101847/http://www.katarzyna.bg/pub/wine/5|archivedate=2009-04-11}}</ref>

==Fortress and Tomb== [[File:Mezek Fortress Neoutzikon Bulgaria.jpg|left|thumb|Mezek Fortress]] The [[Mezek Fortress]], {{convert|6.5|decare|m2|abbr=off|lk=on}} in area, is claimed to be among the best preserved Bulgarian medieval castles. It dates to the 11th century. Along with the Thracian tombs, it was studied by a team under archaeologist [[Bogdan Filov]] in 1931–1932. The castle has nine towers, five of which lie at the vulnerable south wall. The Mezek Fortress was built out of stone, with two decorative lines of bricks on the outside. It suffered some destruction around 1900, when stones from the fortress were used for the construction of [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] barracks in Svilengrad.<ref name="ist">{{cite web|url=http://svilengrad.artcity2008.com/?p=22|title=Средновековна крепост с.Мезек|publisher=Исторически музей — Свиленград|language=Bulgarian|accessdate=2011-02-23|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707164348/http://svilengrad.artcity2008.com/?p=22|archivedate=2011-07-07}}</ref>

The [[Mezek Tomb|Mezek Thracian tomb]] dates to the 4th century BC. It is a large, elongated tomb that includes a covered passage of {{convert|20.65|m|ft}}, two rectangular [[antechamber]]s of different size and a round burial chamber with a stone [[sarcophagus]]. The number of burials of noble Thracians in the tomb was no less than four. [[Gold]], [[silver]], [[bronze]], [[iron]] and [[glass]] items and [[pottery]] discovered in the tomb are today displayed in the [[National Archaeological Museum (Bulgaria)|National Archaeological Museum]] in [[Sofia]].<ref name="ist" />

==Nature== There is an eco-trail Sheynovets peak starting at the center of the village. It's 7 km in length and requires around 6 hours for a return trip.

[[Mezek Peak]] in [[Imeon Range]] on [[Smith Island (South Shetland Islands)|Smith Island]] in the [[South Shetland Islands]], [[Antarctica]] is named after Mezek.

==References== {{reflist}}

[[Category:Villages in Haskovo Province]] [[Category:Thracian sites]] [[Category:Thracian archaeological sites in Bulgaria]] [[Category:Archaeological sites in Bulgaria]]