Thracian, ancient, late antique and medieval fortress Apiria, called by the locals Kaleto, is located on the banks of the Danube, 6.41 km northeast as the crow flies from the center of the village of Ryahovo. The earliest mention of the castella is found in Roman guidebooks from the second half of the 1st century. It is very likely that a Thracian, fortified settlement existed on the site before that. A detachment of cavalry-shield bearers, parts of the 1st Italian and 11th Claudian legions were stationed there.
In 404, Apiria was already an episcopal center. During the reign of Emperor Justinian, the fortress was rebuilt. It was taken over by the Avars in 587. Some authors are of the opinion that the site continued to exist after the 6th century under the name “Skaria”. Based on the data indicated in the guidebooks that “Apiria” was located 9 or 14 miles east of “Tigra” (town of Marten) and 13 miles west of “Transmariska” (town of Tutrakan), Karel Shkorpil located it in the area of ”Kaleto”, 6.5 km northeast of the village of Ryahovo.
Regarding the name Apiria, there are two opinions – Latin, meaning “beehive” or Thracian. The fortification is located on the height known as “Kaleto” or “Hisarya”, on the right bank of the Danube. A significant part of it was destroyed by the waters of the Danube River, and the rest during the construction of the Brashlyanska irrigation system. When Karel Shkorpil first visited “Kaleto”, he found that the southeastern corner of the fortress was preserved, with walls about 60 m long. He also mentions the remains of a pillar.
The wall of Apiria was 2.4 m thick. The front sides were built of hewn blocks, and the interior was a blockage of small stones and a mortar mix with crushed brick. There are no walls preserved above the surface at the moment. During socialism, the largest pumping station in the country was built on the remains of the castle and all visible traces of the land were erased. When the river is low during the summer months, the remains of the city are visible at the bottom of the river.
Location:
Altitude: 13 m GPS coordinates: 44°01’16” N.S. and 26°18’38” E.
Sources: https://www.bulgariancastles.com/s-ryahovo-krepost-apiariya/
