Proviralkyata, Megalithic sanctuary in Lilyach, Bulgaria

Proviralkyata is a rock sanctuary near Lilyach in the southern slopes of the Konyavska mountain, Kyustendil Province. It consists of several large rock blocks with a narrow tunnel about 0.3 m high and 1.5 m long at their base, called the proviralo. A small chapel of the Holy Mother of God stands about 1 m before the tunnel, and the village church of Saint George was built above it on a prehistoric megalithic sanctuary with sacrificial pits.

The rock sanctuary is thought to have originated in the Eneolithic period and was later inherited as a sacred territory by the Thracian tribe of the Paeonians, who performed fertility rituals there. A Christian church, Saint George, was built over the prehistoric megalithic sanctuary, which is marked by sacrificial pits. Field research is the only study conducted at the site so far.

Locals call the complex Proviralkyata, from the Bulgarian verb for squeezing through. Childless women crawl through the 1.5 m tunnel, only about 0.3 m high, before sunrise, and those who pass are considered sworn siblings. Every year on Gergyovden the villagers hold a kurban for health, and on 5 May mothers bring their children to the rocks in thanks.

The site can be reached on foot and is open to exploration throughout the year, with several pathways leading to the stone formations. Wear comfortable shoes as the terrain is uneven and the structures spread across a larger area.

Locals say that if you look at the rock face, it resembles a woman's body seated with her back to the stones, and the ground beneath is believed to be polished by those who passed through the 0.3 m high, 1.5 m long opening. Nearby are two rock altars with carved channels, a necropolis and a karst spring believed never to dry up.