Peshtera

Peshtera
Peshtera court hall
Peshtera Location of Peshtera
Coordinates: 42°2′N 24°18′E / 42.033°N 24.300°E / 42.033; 24.300Coordinates: 42°2′N 24°18′E / 42.033°N 24.300°E / 42.033; 24.300
Country	Bulgaria
Government
Elevation	450 m (1,480 ft)
Population (31.12.2009)
• Total	20,974
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal Code subdivision_name1= Pazardzhik	4550
Area code(s)	0350

Peshtera (Bulgarian: Пещера) is a town in southern Bulgaria. It is located in Pazardzhik Province and is close to the towns of Batak and Bratsigovo. The city is the third largest in area after Velingrad and Pazardzhik and is the forty-fifth largest in Bulgaria out of 244 cities. It is the administrative center of the municipality Peshtera. As of December 2009, it has a population of 20,753 inhabitants. At a distance of around 5 km from the town of Peshtera (along the road to Batak) is one of the most popular caves in Bulgaria — Snezhanka. Nearby is the Peshtera HEP plant. The town is also well known for producing the alcohol beverage Mastika. The product is named after the town (Peshterska).

Geography

Peshtera City (461 m asl) is located in the foothills bordering the Upper Valley, 18 km from Pazardzhik and 38 km from Plovdiv and 125 km from Sofia. 1 km from the town in northeastern direction the way to the regional center, which involves direct transport links with settlements in the municipality - the village and the village Radilovo Captain Dimitrievo.

The climate is temperate in the municipality, no sudden temperature fluctuations. The average altitude of the city is 461 m Peshtera average annual temperature is 12,6 ° C. Rainfall is relatively good - from 670 to 680 l/m2 year.

Population

The population of Peshtera City include many ethnic communities. Is predominantly Bulgarian population, but there are many Turks, Roma, Vlachs (Armani), the latter have their own cultural traffic. The number of Roma in the municipality is approximately 4000. In Peshtera, they were divided into two Roma neighborhood, one is entirely Roma and the other is a mixed population. Different ethnic groups in the cave have always lived in harmony and tolerance. The city is an example of integration and understanding of all ethnic groups and minorities.

History

The first traces of human presence in the area date from the Neolithic. The Thracian tribe of the Bessi inhabited the area in Antiquity and the settlement in the Peshtera Valley emerged in the fourth century BC.

The earliest piece of writing documenting the town's name dates from 1479, when Peshtera was part of the fief of a certain Mustafa in the Ottoman Empire. During the Bulgarian National Revival, many churches, bridges, fountains, schools and houses were built. The first secular school in Peshtera was opened in 1848, while the Nadezhda ('hope') community centre emerged in 1873. Many local residents took part in the armed struggle for the Liberation of Bulgaria, the town itself being liberated during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78, more precisely on 6 January 1878.

In 1876, the town had 800 households, of which 500 Bulgarian, 60 Aromanian and about 250 Turkish and Romani. The first official Bulgarian census in 1880 stated 758 households and 3,871 inhabitants, of which 2,618 Bulgarians, 856 Turks, 341 Greeks (most actually Aromanians), 53 Roma and a single Karakachan. Five years later, in 1885, Peshtera had a population of 4,704 and 876 households.

Economy

Gallery

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  Peshtera court hall

• 

  Peshtera Old River bridge and Old mosque

• 

  Peshtera downtown

• 

  Peshtera Culture club Chitalishte "Development"

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  Peshtera central square

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  Peshtera town hall

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  Saint Petka church and History museum of Peshtera

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  17th century old clock tower and new mosque

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  Town-scape from the Clock-tower

Honour

Peshtera Glacier on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after Peshtera.

References

	Kostenets	Pazardzhik	Plovdiv
	Velingrad		Asenovgrad
	Peshtera
	Gotse Delchev	Smolyan	Kardjali

v t e Cities and towns of Bulgaria 1,000,000+ Sofia (capital) 300,000+ Plovdiv Varna 100,000+ Burgas Ruse Stara Zagora Pleven 50,000+ Asenovgrad Blagoevgrad Dobrich Gabrovo Haskovo Pazardzhik Pernik Sliven Shumen Veliko Tarnovo Vratsa Yambol 20,000+ Aytos Botevgrad Dimitrovgrad Dupnitsa Gorna Oryahovitsa Karlovo Kardzhali Kazanlak Kyustendil Lom Lovech Montana Nova Zagora Petrich Razgrad Samokov Sandanski Sevlievo Silistra Smolyan Svishtov Targovishte Troyan Velingrad Vidin 10,000+ Balchik Bankya Bansko Berkovitsa Byala, Rousse Province Byala Slatina Cherven Bryag Chirpan Elhovo Etropole Gotse Delchev Harmanli Ihtiman Isperih Karnobat Kavarna Knezha Kostinbrod Kozloduy Kubrat Levski Mezdra Momchilgrad Nesebar Novi Iskar Novi Pazar Panagyurishte Parvomay Pavlikeni Peshtera Pomorie Popovo Provadiya Radnevo Radomir Rakovski Razlog Stamboliyski Svilengrad Teteven 5,000+ Aksakovo Ardino Belene Belogradchik Beloslav Bobov Dol Chepelare Dalgopol Devin Devnya Dolni Chiflik Dragoman Dryanovo Dulovo Dzhebel Elena Elin Pelin Galabovo General Toshevo Hisarya Kameno Koynare Kostenets Kotel Krichim Krumovgrad Kuklen Lukovit Lyubimets Lyaskovets Madan Nedelino Omurtag Oryahovo Perushtitsa Pirdop Polski Trumbesh Rakitovo Saedinenie Septemvri Simeonovgrad Simitli Slivnitsa Sopot Sredets Straldzha Strazhitsa Suvorovo Svoge Tervel Topolovgrad Tryavna Tsarevo Tutrakan Tvarditsa Varshets Vetovo Veliki Preslav Yakoruda Zlatitsa Zlatograd Under 5,000 Ahtopol Alfatar Antonovo Apriltsi Balgarovo Batak Batanovtsi Belitsa Belovo Boboshevo Bolyarovo Borovo Boychinovtsi Bozhurishte Bratsigovo Bregovo Breznik Brusartsi Byala, Varna Province Byala Cherkva Chiprovtsi Debelets Dimovo Dobrinishte Dolna Banya Dolna Mitropoliya Dolna Oryahovitsa Dolni Dubnik Dospat Dunavtsi Dve Mogili Glavinitsa Glodzhevo Godech Gramada Gulyantsi Gurkovo Hadzhidimovo Iskar Ivaylovgrad Kableshkovo Kalofer Kaolinovo Kaspichan Kermen Kilifarevo Kiten Klisura Kocherinovo Koprivshtitsa Kostandovo Kresna Krivodol Kula Laki Letnitsa Loznitsa Madzharovo Maglizh Malko Turnovo Marten Melnik Merichleri Miziya Momin Prohod Nikolaevo Nikopol Obzor Opaka Pavel Banya Plachkovtsi Pliska Pordim Pravets Primorsko Rila Roman Rudozem Sadovo Sapareva Banya Sarnitsa Senovo Shabla Shipka Shivachevo Slavyanovo Slivo Pole Smyadovo Sozopol Strelcha Suhindol Sungurlare Sveti Vlas Tran Trastenik Tsar Kaloyan Ugarchin Vetren Valchedram Valchi Dol Varbitsa Yablanitsa Zavet Zemen Zlataritsa

v t e Municipality of Peshtera Capital: Peshtera Villages Kapitan Dimitrievo Radilovo Landmarks Snezhanka cave Culture Notable people Georgi Kyoseivanov