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ABOUT
Kurdjali
AREA |
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Kurdzhali (45 729 inhabitants, 240 meters above sea level) is located in the
very heart of the Eastern Rhodopes, along the two banks of the Arda River, on
both sides of which are the two big dams - Studen Kla-denez Dam to the east
and Kurdzhali Dam to the south.
The town on the Arda River is situated at the distance of 250 km, 100 km and
81 km south-east of Sofia, Plovdiv and Asse-nov-grad, respectively, 66 um and
50 km south-west of Dimitrovgrad and Has-kovo, respectively, and only 15 km
north of Mom-chilgrad. Kurdzhali is a regional administrative centre.
This place had been a settlement as early as 6 000 years ago. Prehistoric
remains of human life as well as ample examples of the presence of Thracian,
Roman and Byzantine culture have been found plus medieval Bulgarian and
late-Ottoman remains. The first historical finds are associated with the
Thracian tribe koelaleti, subdued by the Romans during 1st century. Then came
the Slavic tribe of Smoleni. During the Middle Ages the settlement frequently
shifted under Bulgarian or Byzanitine rule.
Bulgarian presence is proved by the unique 3-navel Bulgarian basilica found in
Vesselchane Quarter of the town dated to the 11th - 12th century. This town
quarter is heir of medieval Bulgarian town Munyak demonstrating an
architectural style, similar to that of Preslav, Messemvria and Turnovo. In
the 14th century the settlement was conquered by the Turks, and in 1379 it was
populated by colonists from Asia Minor. In the middle of the 17th century the
town was ruled by Kurdzhi Ali - a noted army leader. It is supposed that
accepted the town was named after him. During the 18th century bloodthirsty
kurdzhalii gangs (Turkish brigands), which ruined not one and two prospering
Bulgarian villages, used to gather in the town. In January 1878 the Don
Cossacks of General Chernobouzov liberated the town, which was to remain
within the Eastern Rumelia part of the country, as agreed under the Berlin
Treaty. In 1886 it is given to Turkey again as a compensation for the Union
(1885). On 8th October 1912 the soldiers of colonel Delov’s regiment liberated
the town for the second and last time. Gradually, Kurdzhali became the
“tobacco warehouse of the Eastern Rhodopes” and later a centre for the
development of Bulgarian non-ferrous metallurgy. |
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