District Kardjali

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Kardzhali Region is situated in the eastern Rhodope Mountains between the Upper Thracian Plain and the Aegean Thrace. It is bounded by the regions of Smolyan, Plovdiv and Haskovo; Kardzhali Region also borders Greece to the south.

Kardzhali is a poor, agricultural (primarily tobacco-growing) region, rich in ores and minerals. The landscape is dominated by steep slopes and hilly areas. The region has more than 50 caves, natural phenomena and picturesque, deep and beautiful valleys (of the Arda, the Varbitsa, the Krumovitsa and the Byala Reka rivers). The nature reserves have preserved ancient forests of European black pine (Pinus nigra) and species of the unique evergreen Thracian oak (Quercus thracica). The region provides excellent conditions for the development of cultural tourism and ecotourism.
The artificial lakes of Kardzhali and Studen Kladenets on the Arda River provide good conditions for aquatic sports and recreation activities.

Landmarks: Carved by the sun and the wind, the "Petrified Wedding" rock formations near the village of Zimzelen resemble people, horses, birds and pillars; the rocks are approximately 40 million years old, and were formed when the eastern Rhodope Mountains were the floor of a warm sea, quaked by nonstop volcanic activity. The impressive "Stone Mushrooms" phenomenon with pink stems and greenish hats located in the vicinity of the village of Beli Plast, soar at 2.5 m of height. They were shaped as a result of intensive underwater volcanic activity during the Paleogene. The limestone "Rock Window" phenomenon in the Large Ravine locality near the village of Kostino dates from the same period. Many fascinating Thracian architectural sites: sanctuaries, necropolises and rock dwellings are located in the region. The sacred Thracian city of Perpericon is also located here.

During the Middle Ages the eastern Rhodope Mountains became a stronghold of Orthodox Christianity; and the remains of the fortresses near Kardzhali, Perperek, Efrem, Vishegrad, Ustra and Tatul still remind of that period. After the fall of Bulgaria under the Ottoman rule in the 14-16th centuries AD the population in the region was subjected to coercive assimilation; part of the population was converted to Islam, the other part was slaughtered. After the liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman rule, the Berlin Treaty of 1978 awarded the entire region to the Ottoman Empire; however, it was returned to Bulgaria in 1913.

Quick facts about District Kardjali

In Bulgarian (Native transliteraion): Област Кърджали
Other transliteration(s): Kardjali, kardzali, Kurdzali, Kardjaly, Kurdjaly, Kurdzaly, Kurdzhali, Kardjhali
Region: South-Central planing region of Bulgaria
District: Kardjali district
Latitude: 41.6500015
Longtitude: 25.3670006
Area Size: 3208km2
Population: 152808 people