Drive south from Plovdiv into the Rhodope mountains to the town of Assenovgrad and there take the road to your right. This is the road which would bring you, like thousands of tourists each year, eventually to the Pomporovo ski resort. You will probably plan to stop at the town of Bachkovo and tour the Bachkovski Monastery. But there's a curious sight high up on a hill just ahead on the right. It looks like a medieval castle ... This is what remains of an ancient fortress - in Bulgarian, a krepost. Like the town below (Assenovgrad) it bears the name of Bulgarian Tsar (King) Ivan Assen II. What remains today of Assenova Krepost is only this medieval church, 'Holy Mother of God' and some pieces of the original fortress wall. During the rule of Tsar Ivan Assen II, the Second Bulgarian Empire reached its peak. As shown in black on the map at this link, Bulgaria expanded to three seas and extended over Thrace, Macedonia and part of Albania. Ivan Assen made a peace contract with the kingdom of Hungary and married the Hungarian princess. In 1230, Ivan Assen was victorious in battle against the Byzantines near the village of Klokotnitza, destroying the enemy army. The captured soldiers were set free, and this generous act made a favorable impression to everyone. Tsar Assen II ruled with significant statemanship and diplomacy, successfully marrying all of his sisters, daughters and cousins to rulers of neighboring lands, guaranteeing peace in that way. By his mild conduct and other diplomatic means, he ensured the Bulgarian political, economic, military and cultural prosperity. Ivan Assen's sincere faith endeared him even to his foes. He restored the autonomy of the Bulgarian church and established a central administration. In 1230 his army defeated Epyr king Theodor Komnin at Klokotniza. The city of Veliko Turno became the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire. Tsar Assen was faced with constant struggle to defend his throne and in 1196 he was felled by the Bolyar, Ivanko, who headed a rebellion incited by Byzantium. But the Second Empire was as ephemeral as the first. After the death of Assen II, the country was ruled by his sons, Kaloman Assen I, who took the throne at age 7 and reigned from 1241 through 1246, and then Michail, who reigned until killed by his cousin Kaloman II in 1257. Kaloman II ruled for one year until he was abandoned by the Bolyars and killed. Tsar Mizo Assen ruled for one year, 1256-57. He was defeated by Constantin Tih, declared Tsar by the Bolyars who had become displeased with the rule of the Assens. This was a period of decline began that coincided with the Tartar invasion of 1241 and led to the restoration of the Byzantine Empire. Genghis Khan consolidated under his command the Tartars of the Golden Horde, a Turkish-Mongolian people from Central Asia. Beginning in 1240, the Tatars had launched a series of invasions toward the west. The main body of the Tatar force commanded by Genghis's son, Batu, moved up the Hungarian plain in an orgy of plundering and devastation, and in the process a large portion of the local population perished. Ivalio organized village rebels in 1277 and defeated Tsar Constanin Tih. Byzantine Emperor Michail VIII Paleolog, gave the power of Emperor to Ivan Assen III, grandson of Ivan Assen II. Tsar Ivalio was infuriated and sought assistance from the Tartar Khan Nogay to regain his crown and expelled Assen III, ending the direct Assen lineage. Ivalio was killed by the Tartar Khan. The church was partially restored in the 1900's. It is a very rare and valuable representation of sacral architecture in Bulgaria, a paragon of Bulgarian Rococo style. There also remain some small sections of wall paintings inside the church which are dated from the 14th and 19th centuries. The lower level served as a funeral crypt.