Landscape of the Rhodopes near the village of Hvoyna

View from the Belintash Rock towards the village of Vrata

The Rhodopes (Bulgarian: Родопи, Rodopi, usually used with a definite article: Родопите, Rodopite, sometimes also called Родопа, Rodopa or Родопа планина, Rodopa planina; Greek: Ροδόπη, Rodopi, "red aspect") are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, with over 83% of its area in southern Bulgaria and the remainder in Greece. Its highest peak, Golyam Perelik (2,191 m), is the seventh highest Bulgarian mountain. The region is particularly notable for the Karst areas with their deep river gorges, large caves and specific sculptured forms, such as the Trigrad Gorge. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 1525 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Rhodope Mountains ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 1525 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Rhodope Mountains ... Image File history File links SeloVrata. ... Image File history File links SeloVrata. ... The Balkans is the historic and geographic name used to describe southeastern Europe (see the Definitions and boundaries section below). ... Karst topography occurs when a landscape is marked by underground drainage patterns. ... The Trigrad Gorge The Trigrad Gorge (Bulgarian: Триградско ждрело ) is a canyon of vertical marble rocks in the Rhodope Mountains of Bulgarias very southern parts. ...

Geography and climate

The Rhodopes are spread over 14,737 km², of which 12,233 km² are on Bulgarian territory. The mountains are about 220 km long and about 100-120 km wide, with an average altitude of 785 m. 15 reserves have been established in the region, some of which under UNESCO protection. There are many mineral water springs, the most famous being in Velingrad and Narechen. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... Velingrad is the most beautiful and most famous among the Bulgarian Balneological resorts. ... Narechen (Bulgarian: Наречен) is a village in the Plovdiv Province, central Bulgaria. ...

Subdivision

Dospat Dam in the western parts

Image File history File linksMetadata Dospat-Dam-gruev. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Dospat-Dam-gruev. ...

Western Rhodopes

The Western Rhodopes are the larger (66% of the area of the Rhodopes in Bulgaria), higher, most infrastructurally developed and most visited part of the mountains. The highest and best known peaks are located in the region (more than 10 are over 2,000 m) including the highest one, Golyam Perelik (2,191 m). Among the other popular peaks are Shirokolashki Snezhnik (2,188 m), Golyam Persenik (2,091 m), Batashki Snezhnik (2,082 m), Turla (1,800 m).

Some of the deepest river gorges in the Rhodopes are located in the western parts, as well as the rock phenomenon Wonderful Bridges. Significant bodies of water include the Chaira lakes and the dams Dospat, Batak, Shiroka Polyana, Golyam Beglik and Toshkov Chark. The larger bridge as seen from the smaller The larger bridge as seen from below The smaller bridge as seen from the larger The Erkyupriya River flowing under the large bridge The Wonderful Bridges (Bulgarian: , Chudni[te] mostove) is a rock phenomenon in the Rhodope Mountains in southern Bulgaria. ... Dospat is a dam located in the western Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria. ... The Batak (Bulgarian : Батак) dam lake is placed in the Rhodopes mountains and is the third biggest in Bulgaria. ... Shiroka Polyana is a dam situated in the Western Rhodopes mountains in Bulgaria The dam is situated 30 km south of Batak, on the road to Dospat. ... Golyam Beglik is a dam near the central parts of the Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria. ...

The river Mesta crossing the mountains

The Trigrad Gorge

The city of Batak is also located in this part of the mountains, as well as the popular tourist centres Smolyan, Velingrad, Devin, Chepelare, the winter resort Pamporovo, the Eastern Orthodox Bachkovo Monastery, the ruins of the Asen dynasty's fortress, the caves Dyavolskoto Garlo, Yagodinska and many others. The highest village in Bulgaria, Manastir (over 1,500 m), is crouched in the northern foot of Prespa Peak. A number of architectural reserves, such as Shiroka Laka, Kovachevitsa, Momchilovtsi, Kosovo, are also located in the area. river Nestos, Rodopi - Greece File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... river Nestos, Rodopi - Greece File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Mesta (Bulgarian: Места) or Nestos (Greek: Νέστος) is a river in Bulgaria and Greece. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (600x800, 183 KB)Trigrad Gorge, Rhodopes, Bulgaria Тази фотография е с авторско право © Никола Груев и е публикувана с разрешение при условията на Лиценза за свободна документация на ГНУ. Посетете галериите със снимки от цяла България на сайта на автора. This picture is copyrighted © Nikola Gruev and is published with his permission under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (600x800, 183 KB)Trigrad Gorge, Rhodopes, Bulgaria Тази фотография е с авторско право © Никола Груев и е публикувана с разрешение при условията на Лиценза за свободна документация на ГНУ. Посетете галериите със снимки от цяла България на сайта на автора. This picture is copyrighted © Nikola Gruev and is published with his permission under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. ... The Trigrad Gorge The Trigrad Gorge (Bulgarian: Триградско ждрело ) is a canyon of vertical marble rocks in the Rhodope Mountains of Bulgarias very southern parts. ... Batak (Bulgarian Батак) is a town in Southern Bulgaria. ... Smolyan (Bulgarian: ; Turkish: or Ahiçelebi) is a town in the very south of Bulgaria, the administrative center of Smolyan Province. ... Velingrad is the most beautiful and most famous among the Bulgarian Balneological resorts. ... Devin (Девин ) is a town in Smolyan Province in the very south of Bulgaria. ... Chepelare (Bulgarian: Чепеларе) is a town in Smolyan Province in Southern Bulgaria. ... The five-star Hotel Pamporovo and the new church in the resort Pamporovo (Bulgarian: Пампорово) is a popular mountain resort in southern Bulgaria, one of the best-known in Southeastern Europe. ... Eastern Orthodoxy (also called Greek Orthodoxy and Russian Orthodoxy) is a Christian tradition which represents the majority of Eastern Christianity. ... Bachkovo Monastery in Bulgaria is one of the largest and oldest Orthodox Christian monasteries in Eastern Europe. ... The Asen dynasty ruled the Second Bulgarian Empire between 1187 and 1280. ... Kosovo is a village in Plovdiv Province, Bulgaria, located at . // Kosovo is located in Rhodope Mountains, in their central part, five kilometers away from a spa. ...

Eastern Rhodopes

The Eastern Rhodopes are spread over a territory of about 34% of the mountains' area in Bulgaria, constituing a much lower part.

The large artificial dams Kardzhali and Studen Kladenets are located in this part of the mountains. The region is rich in thermal mineral springs. The waters around Dzhebel have national reputation for healing various diseases. Belite Brezi is an important healing centre for respiratory and other ailments. The Kardzhali Dam is located near Kardzhali town in Kardzhali Province, Bulgaria. ... Studen Kladenets is a dam on the Arda River located near the town of Kardzhali (Kardjali) in Bulgaria. ... Coat of arms of Dzhebel Dzhebel (Bulgarian: , Turkish: ) is a town in Kardzhali Province, southern Bulgaria. ...

View from the Southern Rhodopes

Major cities in the area are Haskovo and Kardzhali, as well as the smaller Momchilgrad, Krumovgrad, Zlatograd and Kirkovo. The Eastern Rhodopes, being significantly lower, are also more populated than the western part. Stravorema area, full of trees (Picea Abies). ... Stravorema area, full of trees (Picea Abies). ... Haskovo (Bulgarian: Хасково) is the name of a town (and administrative center of the region of the same name) in Southern Bulgaria. ... Kardzhali (Bulgarian: , Turkish: ) is a town in Bulgaria, capital of Kardzhali Province in the Eastern Rhodopes. ... Momchilgrad (Bulgarian: , the town of Momchil; Turkish: ) is a town in the very south of Bulgaria, part of Kardzhali Province in the southeastern part of the Eastern Rhodopes. ... Krumovgrad Krumovgrad (Bulgarian: , Turkish: ) is a town in Kardzhali Province in the very south of Bulgaria, located in the Eastern Rhodopes on the banks of the river Krumovitsa. ... Zlatograd is a town in Bulgaria, 60 km from Smolyan. ... Kirkovo is a town in Kardzhali Province, southern Bulgaria, near the Greek border. ...

Southern Rhodopes

The Southern Rhodopes are the part of the mountain range that is located in Greece. The Rhodope Prefecture in the northern part of the country is named after the region. Rhodope (Greek: Ροδόπη, Rodopi) is one of the prefectures of Greece. ...

Climate

The location of the Rhodopes in the southeastern part of the Balkan Peninsula determines the climate in the region to a great extent. It is influenced both by the colder air coming from the north and by the warmer breeze from the Mediterranean. The Balkans is the historic and geographic name used to describe southeastern Europe (see the Definitions and boundaries section below). ... Composite satellite image of the Mediterranean Sea. ...

The average annual temperature in the Eastern Rhodopes is 12–13° C, the maximum value of precipitation is in December, the minimum is in August. In the Western Rhodopes, the temperature varies with 5° to 9°C and the summer rainfalls prevail.

The mild climate, combined with some other factors, works in favour of the development of recreation and tourist activities. The Pamporovo resort, where the microclimate permits a heavy snow cover to be preserved for a long time, is an excellent example.

A church in Batak

A mosque in the town of Madan, situated in a region largely populated by Muslim Bulgarians

Temperatures of −15°C are common in the winter, and due to this the Rhodopes are the southernmost place in the Balkans where tree species such as the Norway Spruce and the Silver Birch can be observed. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1826x1216, 1551 KB) Batak, Bulgaria - the church; 1826x1216px, taken June 2006, author Kett 12:59, 1 July 2006 (UTC) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Rhodope Mountains... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1826x1216, 1551 KB) Batak, Bulgaria - the church; 1826x1216px, taken June 2006, author Kett 12:59, 1 July 2006 (UTC) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Rhodope Mountains... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (600x800, 100 KB)A mosque in Madan, Bulgaria in the Western Rhodopes, a region largely populated by Muslim Bulgarians. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (600x800, 100 KB)A mosque in Madan, Bulgaria in the Western Rhodopes, a region largely populated by Muslim Bulgarians. ... Madan is a mountainous town in Bulgaria, situated in the Yellow Share of the Rhodopi mountains. ... Binomial name Picea abies (L.) H. Karst. ... Binomial name Betula pendula Roth. ...

People

The sparsely populated area of the Rhodopes has been a place of ethnic and religious diversity for hundreds of years. Apart from the Eastern Orthodox Bulgarians and Greeks, the mountains are also home to a number of Muslim communities, including the Muslim Bulgarians, locally called Pomaks, that predominate in the western parts and a large concentration of Bulgarian Turks, particularly in the Eastern Rhodopes. The mountains are also one of the regions associated with the Karakachans, an Eastern Orthodox nomadic people of uncertain origin that traditionally roam between Northern Thrace and the Aegean coast. Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... Muslim Bulgarians (also Bulgarian Mohammedans, bul:Българи-мохамедани; local: Pomak, Ahrian, Poganets, Marvak, Poturnak) are descendants of Christian Bulgarians who converted to Islam during the 16th and the 18th century. ... The Pomaks (Помаци, Pomatsi) or Bulgarian Muslims (Българи Мюсюлмани, Bălgari Myusyulmani), also known locally as Ahryani, are Slavs of the Islamic faith. ... The Turks in Bulgaria have lived in the Balkans since the end of the 14th century, after the Ottoman Empire began to establish its existence on the Rumelian lands. ... Karakachans or Sarakatsani are an itinerant white colour (i. ... Thrace (Greek Θρᾴκη, ThrákÄ“, Bulgarian Тракия, Trakija, Turkish Trakya; Latin: Thracia or Threcia) is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. ... Look up Aegean Sea in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Mythology

The Rhodopes are widely considered to be the mythological birthplace of legendary singer and lyre player Orpheus and his wife Eurydice. Additionally, there are archeological sites throughout the region related to the cult of Dionysus, such as the ancient Thracian city of Perperikon. In Greek mythology, Queen Rhodope of Thrace, the wife of King Haemus, was changed into the Rhodope Mountains by Zeus and Hera as a punishment. The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... The head of Orpheus, from an 1865 painting by Gustave Moreau. ... In Greek mythology, there were several characters named Eurydice (Eurydíkê, Ευρυδίκη). // The most famous was a woman — or a nymph — who was the wife of Orpheus. ... Dionysus with a leopard, satyr and grapes on a vine, in the Palazzo Altemps (Rome, Italy) Dionysus or Dionysos (from the Ancient Greek Διώνυσος or Διόνυσος, associated with the Italic Liber), the Thracian god of wine, represents not only the intoxicating power of wine, but also its social and beneficial influences. ... The ruins of the ancient city of Perperikon The ancient Thracian city of Perperikon (Bulgarian: Перперикон) is located in the Eastern Rhodopes, 15 km northeast of the present-day town of Kardzhali, Bulgaria, on a 470 m high rocky hill, which is thought to have been a sacred place. ... The bust of Zeus found at Otricoli (Sala Rotonda, Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican) Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world and their own cult and ritual practices. ... In Greek mythology, Queen Rhodope of Thrace was the wife of Haemus. ... Thraciae veteris typvs. ... In Greek mythology, King Haemus (or Haimos) of Thrace was the son of Boreas. ... The Statue of Zeus at Olympia Phidias created the 12-m (40-ft) tall statue of Zeus at Olympia about 435 BC. The statue was perhaps the most famous sculpture in Ancient Greece, imagined here in a 16th century engraving Zeus (in Greek: nominative: Zeús, genitive: Diós), is... In the Olympian pantheon of classical Greek Mythology, Hera, (Greek , IPA pronunciation ; or Here in Ionic and in Homer) was the wife and older sister of Zeus. ...

References

• Asdracha, Catherine, La région des Rhodopes aux XIIIe et XIVe siècles: étude de géographie historique, Athen: Verlag der Byzantinisch-Neugriechischen Jahrbücher, 1976, Pp. 294.

External links

• Panorama photos of Rhodope: Yagodina, Trigrad view, Trigrad river, Vodni pad.
• Rhodope Mountains – the home of Orpheus
• The ancient city of Perperikon
• Pictures of the Rhodopes at Astraka.net
• Pictures of the Rhodopes at Imagesfrombulgaria.com