Information Bulletin Issue 3, 2012
Alexandroupolis - Beautiful
City and Hospitable People
Alexandroupolis is the capital
city of the Thracian land. With a
population 55 000 inhabitants and
modern infrastructure, today’s city
does not remind at all of Dede
Agats, the small fishing village of the
Ottoman Empire.
Its
privileged
geographical
location was first noticed in the
mid 19th century. The city’s port
prospered and the renowned
lighthouse first operated in 1980. Its
development since then has been
quick; the commercial and industrial
activity has risen, in addition to the
port there isa railway network, the
airport and a European motorway,
Egnatia Odos.
On the boulevard you can find the
lighthouse, which was built in 1880 by
the French Company of Lighthouses
and Lights and it stretches up to 27
metres height above sea level. In
the same square there are several
monuments of local heroes from the
Greek Revolution in 1821.
Another important building of
the city is the Metropolitan Church
of Agios Nikolaos. It was built by the
first residents of Alexandroupoli in
the beginning of the 19th century.
The Icon of Panagia Trifotissa (13th
century), which was brought by the
refugees of Ainos, is placed in the
church.
In
Alexandroupolis
there
are also a Moselim Mosque, an
Armenian Orthodox Church and a
Catholic Church. On Ioakim Kaviri
Street there is the Allied Cemetery
where English and French soldiers
were buried during the A’ World
War.
To be continued -page 2
The publication (Information Bulletin)
reflects the views of the Association of Rhodope Municipalities and the Managing Authority shall not be held liable for any use that
may be made of the information contained
therein.
This publication (Information Bulletin) has
been produced within the project „Promotion
of the Cultural Heritage of Evros and Smolyan
through Alternative Tourism/Evros - Smolyan
Road of Culture - B1 - 1.2, co-funded by the
European Union (European Regional Development Fund) and national funds of Greece and
Bulgaria under the European Territorial Cooperation Programme „Greece - Bulgaria 20072013”. The contents of this publication are the
sole responsibility of Association of Rhodope
Municipalities and can in no way be taken to
reflect the views of the European Union.
3
4
7
Museums in
Alexandroupolis
Municipality
of Devin
Municipality
of Dospat
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Information Bulletin Issue 3, 2012
Alexandroupolis - Beautiful
City and Hospitable People
Continued from page 1
Today’s Alexandroupolis is an ideal
starting point for one to get to know the
greater area of Thrace.
Alexandroupolis is the midst of a
charismatic natural landscape. At the edges,
a seaside full of beautiful beaches. Next to
it, one of the most precious natural sights
of Europe, the Evros’ Delta. Within half an
hour distance, the National Park of Dadia,
Lefkimi and Soufli, one of the rarest biotops
of birds of prey in the world. Less than an
hour away, the forests and the picturesque
settlements of the mountainous mass that
is Rhodopi, this crowns the city’s horizon
towards the North. Right across, in the
South, two hours by the local boat, there is
the unique, Aegean Sea beautiful island of
Samothraki.
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Information Bulletin Issue 3, 2012
Ecclesiastical
Museum in
Alexandroupolis
The building of the museum is a
donation from the benefactor of the
region Antonis Leontarides. It was built
in 1909 and until 1975 it functioned as
a school. The religious history of the
region is displayed in the museum
and one can admire Byzantine icons,
Icon Screens, vestments, utensils and
old ecclesiastical books. It is located
in the city center, in the courtyard
of the Metropolitan Church of Agios
Nikolaos. The admission fee is 2 Euros..
Thracian Ethnological Museum of
Mrs. Giannakidou
Aggelia
The gallery is located in a
traditional building in the city center.
Local costumes, utensils, tools and
needlework of Thrace, all related to
the recent history of the area, are in
display. The museum owns a computer
system that seeks people who were
eradicated from Eastern Thrace and
settled in Evros in the beginning of
the 20th century. The admission fee is
3 Euros.
Natural History
Musem
The museum is built in the
location called Platania close the
Village of Maestros, 2 km. away to
the east of Alexandroupoli. You can
find information concerning the
natural history, the development of
life of fish, mammals and plants and
watch educational films in the multientertainment room. The admission
fee is 3 Euros and the museum is open
every day except Monday.
4
Information Bulletin Village of Breze
In the area of the village there is an
abundance of natural and cultural places
of interest to see: 1. Ruins of a medieval
settlement and necropolis on the summit
called “Saint Nicolas” – located at 2 km
away from the village. 2. Antique stone
graveyards in the “Kum Kidik” area, located
6-7 km away from the village. 3. Old Roman
pathway in the “Chengene Kioshk”, located
12 km away from the village.
The projects related to constructing
and marking of the eco-path to the sights
are not approved yet. The access to the
cultural sites is not limited. There is a forest
road, which leads to the sites but it is only
possible to get there with 4- wheel drive
vehicles.
Village of Lyaskovo
Three stone bridges from Roman times
can be seen in the village of Lyaskovo.
The longest bridge is located in the in the
center of the village. The other two bridges
are of smaller size, one of them is on the
way to Mihalkovo village, and the other one
is upstream the Lapchovska river. The old
water mill in the upper end of the village
is beautiful. Unfortunately it is now private
and does not function. селото. За жалост
вече е частна собственост и не функционира.
Issue 3, 2012
Town of Devin
The town of Devin is situated in the
centre of Middle Rhodopes, in the Valley of
Vucha River. This is a unique place and an old
pathway. In the course of thousands of years,
it has been inhabited by various civilizations.
In the region (Trigrad, Yagodina, Orpheus
Chalet) there are Paleolithic remains dating
back to 25-30000 years ago.
The area of Devin has been inhabited
by the local Thracian tribes from the end
of the Bronze era (14th century B.C.) until
late antiquity (4th century A.D.). The most
widely spread archeological monuments of
the Thracian culture are Thracian mounds,
settlements and fortresses (Trigrad,
Grokhotno, Devin, etc.). Within the territory
of Devin region a significant number of
Thracian sanctuaries have been recorded,
which emerged back in the 13th century
B.C. on top of bare rock summits. A bronze
statuette of God Dionysus has been found in
Trigrad, while a statuette of God Hermes has
been found close to the area called Zabral .
The municipality is mostly rich in
and popular with its mineral springs and
water resources from the ancient times:
karst springs, rivers, artificial lakes and hot
mineral springs with temperature of water
from 16º to 76 ºС in the various sources of “Beden Baths” close to Breze village, in
Devin municipality (water with very good
dining characteristics), in Mihalkovo village
(sparkling water naturally carbonated with
acidic taste – for table and treatment), in the
area “Posestra” and in Nastan district.
The natural resources are also a good
precondition for the development of
alternative tourism. There are a number of
natural attractions on the territory of the
municipality.
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Information Bulletin Issue 3, 2012
Museum and ethnographic The Beadnos
collections in Devin
Fortress
The museum collection of the
Cultural Home “Rhodope Prosveta
(Education) - 1923” has been
established due to the efforts and
donations of many local people. They
started to collect exhibits from the town
and region of Devin as early as 1967.
It took more than 15 years to search,
collect and arrange the artifacts. On 04
November, 1983 a museum collection
of more than 2000 artifacts has been
opened by the former mayor of Devin
– Stephan Ashikov.
The Museum occupies 260 sq. m
and it is housed in the building of the
central Public Hall (Lyceum). It keeps
materials and documents with local and
national significance. These are original
historical and archeological relics from
surveys and excavations in the town
of Devin and the surrounding areas.
Various types of national garments
from the close and remote past are
placed on the window displays.
The visitors can see a rich collection
of pottery and tools that represent the
life and culture of the Rhodope people.
The museum collection possesses a
lot of photos and document material
from the 20th century, which shows
the development of the town and the
region after its Liberation during 1912.
Today, the museum collection
houses 2121 exhibits, which are
separated in three sections:
Archeology – Ethnography Pictures and Documents
It is arranged in four halls:
•
Hall І – Archeology ( Antique
period)
•
Hall ІІ – History of the Middle
Ages
•
Hall ІІІ – Ethnography, life and
culture
•
Hall ІV – Pictures and
documents
The collection is being permanently
completed by new exhibits given the
museum.
Thematic exhibitions:
•
The Balkan War and the
Liberation of Devin;
• The activity of the Public Hall
from its foundation until today;
•
Celebration and recital for
the occasion of March 3rd (National
Holiday).
Annually the museum collection is
visited by many tourists and visitors to
the town, as well as by the citizens and
students of Devin. In the last years the
museum collection has become the
starting point of routes to many of the
places of interest in the region of Devin
and the municipality.
The Beadnos Fortress is located above
the Village of Beden. It was part of the
Rhodope fortified protection system,
along with the Assen’s Fortress, Turlata
and Gradishteto.
It was built before the 9th century. Its
strategic location affords a view to the
West Rhodope Mountains. The defenders
kept under surveillance all roads and
trails in the area and used fire signals
to communicate with other fortresses
warning them for any danger.
Historical records show that the
fort together with several Rhodope
strongholds were offered by Anna
Savoy to Tsar Ivan Alexander, for the
assistance he granted to fight the selfproclaimed Emperor of Byzantium John
Cantacuzenus.
The remains suggest that the fortress
has relied on two walls: the interior wall
made by stone and the exterior wall made
of thick pine beams. The foundations of
the fortress show that it had an irregular
rectangle shape with an approximate
length of 50 meters and a width of
approximately 25 m.
Issued by:
Association of Rhodope Municipalities
4700 - Smolyan; 12 Bulgaria blvd.
Editing, design and printing:
“Otzvuk Press” LTD.
4700 - Smolyan; 8 Bulgaria blvd.
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Information Bulletin Issue 3, 2012
“Lilovo” Area
In 2006 while excavating
near Devin, one of the most
interesting discoveries has
been made in the Rhodope
Mountains. It was the burial
of a senior aristocrat, probably
proto-Thraki, who was found
in a mound, buried with his
sword – Mycenaean rapier.
The finding dates back to
17th-16th century B.C., which
makes the rapier one of the
earliest dated weapons in our
country. Extremely rare to the
moment and the only one
found during excavations in
the Rhodope Mountains. The
site itself is a large necropolis
mound with earliest findings
dating from the 17th century
B.C.
There are also mounds
from the later stages of the
Bronze Age. Moreover, burial
from II-I century B.C. has been
found. The necropolis has been
used until 4th-5th century B.C.
Everything is concentrated in
one place, which is an evidence
that it was inhabited for a long
time in the past
A bronze knife has been
found on the same mound,
while in the grave (2 or 3
meters of length) a dozen pots
with rich decoration can be
seen. Some of them keep the
remains of the cremated body
of the aristocrat. The treasure
hunters have missed the burial
with the rapier, but some relics
have been excavated from the
surrounding tombs.
The rapier is already
granted for restoration to
professor Inkova and it will
be displayed in the Regional
Museum of History in Smolyan.
Today, the rapier is housed in
the National Museum of History
in Sofia. Lilovo is located around
7 or 8 km away from Devin. For
the time being it is accessible
with jeep (4-wheel-drive).
The “Kaleto”
Fortress
Fortress
easily accessible the eco-
also known as “Kaursko kale”,
path “Struilitsa – Lakata -
”Sayata” and “Babin grad”
Kaleto” was built. It consists
is often visited by tourists.
of a picturesque gorge with
It is located near the town
a specific landscape and
of Devin and is linked to
notable
the dramatic events in the
habitats of rare and protected
Ottoman Empire.
plant and animal species. An
The
“Kaleto”
rock
formations,
Ruins of an old Bulgarian
hour and a half walk along
fortress (dating back to the
the path takes you to the
6th-13th century) can be
ruins of “Kaursko kale”, and a
found in the area of “Kaleto”.
two- hour walk takes you to
To make the sights more
the “Laka” area.
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Information Bulletin Issue 3, 2012
Cultural and Historical Sites and
Places of Interest
in the Municipality of Dospat
Town of Dospat
The town of Dospat is located in the West Rhodope
Mountains. The relief is mountainous and the town stands
at approximately 1200m above sea level.
The winter is mild, spring arrives late, autumn is warm
and summer is cool.
Dospat is a small town with around 3000 inhabitants.
It is located 80 km west of Smolyan, 50 km east of Gotse
Delchev, 191 km away from Sofia and 118 km away from
Plovdiv.
„Dospat“ Dam is the second largest artificial pool (length:
18 km) in Bulgaria. It is surrounded by extremely beautiful
landscapes that attract lot of tourists. The lake, rich in fish,
is one of the most visited places in Bulgaria by the lovers of
fishing. It is considered one of the most beautiful highland
dams in the country. Seagulls come from the Aegean Sea up
to the dam.
Village of Brashten
The Roman Bridge is a cultural site, situated in Dospat
dere (gorge) on the Dospat River.
The Bridge is accessed by jeep and it is on a walking
distance of one km away from the road leading to the Village
of Brashten.
Village of Lyubcha
The panorama from the village allows you see the
Northern mountain peaks of Greece, as well as Pirin mountain.
Cultural and historic sites - Ancient Stone Bridge. It was
built with eggs have been used as a joining and more resistant
material.
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Information Bulletin Village of Tsrancha
„Скалето” е скално образование, използвано като
светил„Skaleto” is a rock formation. In the Late Bronze Age and
in the Iron Age it was used as a place of worship where ancient
pagans performed Thracian rituals. It is the place on which
the ancient Thracian and Roman road passes, connecting the
ancient settlement with the Aegean Coast. Many Thracian and
Roman tombs are scattered across the area. An urn, full of bones
left after cremation, has been discovered there. It was also found
a silver spike of javelin. One of the largest cemeteries called the
“Upper Cemetery” is situated at the highest point of the village.
In the 50s, due to the amateur archeological studies of the local
teachers, skeletal burials with inventory of mainly pottery have
been found. Materials, dating from the Medieval Ages, have
been also discovered.
The area „Skaleto” is located west of the Tsrancha Village.
It is accessible by jeep and afoot taking the road to the Village
of Vaklinovo. It is 1,5 km away from the aforementioned
village.
Issue 3, 2012
Village of Zmeitsa
Cultural and natural attraction - Ancient Stone Bridge
over the Sarnena River. It is located in a close proximity to
the road between the village of Zmeitsa and the town of
Dospat.
One can start from the bus station of Dospat, and then going
through the springs reaches a peak, covered with coniferous
forests. Scientists suppose that this was the peak Zelmisos, on
which the second most important Dionysus’s sanctuary was
built.
The historians supposed that in the past Alexander the
Great and Gaius Octavius (the father of the Emperor Augustus)
were told about the outcome of the next wars by the priest.
The Sanctuary was of utmost significance for the lives of the
Thracian tribes called ‘Bessie’. The mountain peak is scattered
with stone blocks and terraces and this is confirmed by the
remains of fortification walls built with a solid welding. Grass
and forest vegetation have probably covered a number of
valuable artifacts in the times full of life.