Rila

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Rila as seen from Kostenets

Malyovitsa (right), Little Malyovitsa (left) and the Eaglet (middle)

The average annual precipitation in Rila is several times the average for Bulgaria

The Seven Rila Lakes

The source of the Maritsa under Marishki vrah

Landscape from Rila close to the Seven Lakes

The Rila Monastery

Rila (Bulgarian: Рила ['ri.lə]) is a mountain in southwestern Bulgaria and the highest mountain of Bulgaria and the Balkans, with its highest peak being Musala at 2,925 m. The massif is also the sixth highest mountain in Europe (when each mountain is represented by its highest peak only), coming after the Caucasus, the Alps, Sierra Nevada, the Pyrenees and Mount Etna. The larger part of the mountain is occupied by the Rila National Park.

The name Rila is allegedly of Thracian origin and is thought to mean "well-watered mountain", owing to Rila's abundance of glacial lakes (about 200) and hot springs in the faulty areas. Some of the Balkans' longest and deepest rivers originate from Rila, including the Maritsa, the Iskar and the Mesta.

Culturally, Rila is famous for the Rila Monastery, Bulgaria's largest and most important monastery founded in the 10th century by Saint John of Rila.

1 Geology
2 Borders and climate
3 Subdivision
4 Peaks in Rila
5 External links

[edit] Geology

Rila is a dome-shaped horst mountain, part of the Balkans' oldest land, the Macedo-Thracian Massif. It was formed by granite and gneiss rocks and crystal schists during the Paleozoic (250,000,000 years ago), with Rila's alpine relief being formed later, 10-12,000 years ago, after the Würm glaciation, when the snow line was at 2,100 m above sea level. Above this line glaciers radically changed the existing relief, creating deep cirques, sharp pyramid-shaped peaks, rock pinnacles, various valleys, moraines and other typical glacial formations.

[edit] Borders and climate

Rila has an area of 2,400 km². The dome of the mountain rises over the surrounding mountain valleys, with the Borovets Saddle (1,305 m) connecting the main Musala Ridge with the Shipchan and Shumnitsa ridges that connect to the Ihtiman Sredna Gora mountains through the Gate of Trajan pass. The Yundola Saddle (1,375 m) and the Abraham Saddle (1,295 m) link Rila with the Rhodopes to the east, while the connection with Pirin is the Predel Saddle (1,140 m), the one with Verila being the Klisura Saddle (1,025 m).

The climate is typically mountain, with 2,000 mm of precipitation on Musala yearly, 80% of which of snow. The lowest average temperature on Musala ever measured in February is –11.6°C and the absolute minimum is -31.2°C. An average temperature for August is 5.4°C, the maximum being 18.7°C.

[edit] Subdivision

Rila is subdivided into several parts depending on their geographic position.

East Rila or the Musala Ridge is the highest and vastest part. The highest peak, as well as 12 of the 18 peaks over 2,700 m are located there — Musala, Yastrebets, Irechek, Deno Mancho, etc. The Musala Lakes lie in this part of Rila, as well as Ledeno ezero ("Icy Lake"), the highest lake of the Balkans at 2,709 m. Other lakes in East Rila include the Maritsa Lakes and the Ropalitsa Lakes. The renowned mountain resort of Borovets is also located in this part of the mountain.
Central Rila or the Skakavets Ridge is the smallest part (1/10 of the total area), most famous for the glacial lakes — the Fish Lakes, Dzhendem Lakes, Monastery Lakes. The largest glacial lake of the Balkans, Smradlivo ezero ("Stinky Lake") with an area of 21.2 km² is located in Central Rila, as well as the peaks Kanarata, Cherna polyana, Malak Skakavets and Golyam Skakavets, Rilets. The ridge of the Skakavtsi (the peaks of Golyam Skakavets and Malak Skakavets, Pchelina and Sveti Duh) rises isolated between the Levi and Beli Iskar rivers. Another well-known ridge in the area is the one of Marinkovitsa and Vodniya chal, extending to the forest reserve of Kobilino branishte.
Northwest Rila takes up 25% of Rila's total area. The highest peak is Malyovitsa at 2,730 m. The Seven Rila Lakes are an important landmark in this part, as well as the many remote peaks and small lakes.
Southwest Rila or the Kapatnik Ridge occupies 30% of Rila and has the oldest reserve of Bulgaria. Apart from its small northern part, Southwest Rila does not have the alpine appearance of the other parts.