Devnya
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Province (oblast) |
Varna |
|---|---|
| Population | 9,464 (14.12.2005) |
| Altitude | 48 m |
| Postal code | 9160 |
| Area code | 0519 |
| Geographic coordinates |
43° 13' north, 27° 34' east |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2; UTC+3 in summer) |
| Mayor | Vasil Ivanov |
Devnya (Bulgarian: Девня) is a town in Varna Province, located in northeastern Bulgaria. It lies at the western shore of Lake Devnya in the northwestern end of the Devnya Valley and the southern parts of the Dobruja Plateau, in the close proximity of the Black Sea.
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[edit] History
[edit] Ancient history
Devnya lies at the site of the Ancient Roman and Ealy Byzantine city of Marcianopolis (Μαρκιανούπολις) founded by Roman Emperor Trajan after the Second Dacian War, which ended in 106. The city was named after Trajan's sister, Ulpia Marciana. In important strategic centre, the city was part of Roman Thrace until 187-193, and then belonged to Moesia inferior. Marcianopolis's prosperity under the Severan Dynasty was ended by a Gothic raid in 248-249 and subsequent barbarian invasions from the north.
During Emperor Diocletian Marcianopolis became the centre of the province Moesia Secunda of the Diocese of Thrace, and was rebuilt thoroughly in the late 3rd and early 4th century. It grew in importance at the expense of Odessos (Varna) in the 4th century. The city was an important episcopal centre and a basilica from the period was excavated in the 20th century. During Emperor Valens' conflict with the Goths (366-369), Marcianopolis was a temporary capital of the empire and the largest city of Thrace according to a source from the period.
Despite the regular barbarian attacks, Marcianopolis remained an important centre until an Avar raid finally destroyed it in 614-615, although it still continued to be mentioned in maps until much later.
[edit] Middle Ages, Ottoman rule and liberated Bulgaria
As the Slavs settled in the Balkans in the 7th century they called the ruins of the ancient city Devina, from Proto-Indo-European *dhew-(i)na or *dhew-eina ("spring, source, stream, current") through Thracian, but associated with Slavic deva ("virgin"). A small Bulgarian fortress existed at the place during the Middle Ages, possibly built under Omurtag in the 9th century and extended to the north in the 10th or 11th century.
After the Ottoman invasion of the Balkans the fortress was destroyed and abandoned, with the settlement moved to the west. A village by the name of Devne is mentioned in a tax register from 1573, with other forms of the name also attested by foreign and Bulgarian travellers in the 16th and 17th century, sometimes used to designate the river.
After the Liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule the village was called Devne until 1934, when it was substituted by the form Devnya. On 27 August 1969 the town of Devnya was formed through the merging of the villages Devnya, Reka Devnya and Povelyanovo.
[edit] Economy
Devnya is part of the Varna-Devnya Industrial Complex and a number of important heavy industry factories are located in or near the town, making it a chemical industry centre of national importance. These include:
- Agropolihim AD — chemical industry
- Devnya Cement — cement; part of the Italcementi group
- Zaharen zavod — refinded sugar
- Polimeri AD — chemical industry
- Solvey-Sodi AD — chemical industry
[edit] Municipality
Devnya is also the seat of Devnya municipality (part of Varna Province), which includes the following 2 villages:
- Kipra
- Padina
[edit] References
- Angelov, Anastas (2003). Devnya – Pages from the History (in Bulgarian). Varna: Liternet. ISBN 954-304-051-6.
- Angelov, Anastas. Марцианопол (Marcianopolis) (Bulgarian). Devnya.bg. Retrieved on 2006-08-07.
