Sapareva Banya

Sapareva Banya Сапарева баня
Town
Sapareva Banya with the geyser
Sapareva Banya Location of Sapareva Banya
Coordinates: 42°17′N 23°16′E / 42.283°N 23.267°E / 42.283; 23.267Coordinates: 42°17′N 23°16′E / 42.283°N 23.267°E / 42.283; 23.267
Country	Bulgaria
Province (Oblast)	Kyustendil
Municipality	Sapareva Banya
Government
• Mayor	Sasho Ivanov
Elevation	983 m (3,225 ft)
Population (13.09.2005)
• Total	4,425
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal Code	2650
Area code(s)	0707
License Plate	KH
Website	www.saparevabanya.bg

Sapareva Banya (Bulgarian: Сапарева баня, transliterated Sapareva banya) is a town in southwestern Bulgaria, part of Kyustendil Province. It is located at the north foot of the Rila mountain 15 km east of Dupnitsa. The town is known for its hot mineral (103 °C (217 °F))^[1] and clear mountain water, as well as the geyser in the town centre that sprang forth in 1957.

History

The medieval St Nicholas Church in Sapareva Banya

The 12th-13th-century St Nicholas Church, the 18th-century St George's Church from the Bulgarian National Revival and the St Forty Martyrs Church from 1859 are located in Sapareva Banya.

The former Byzantine town of Germane or Germania once stood at the location of modern Sapareva Banya. It was the birthplace of the great Byzantine general Belisarius and was first mentioned in the 6th century as Γερμανία, Γερμανός, Γέρμεννε. In an 11th-century charter of Basil II, it was listed as Γερμάνεια. The modern name first appears as Bane in 1576. Later on, it was disambiguated by adding the name of the nearby village of Saparevo: the area is rich in mineral springs and many localities have similar names. Saparevo's name, first attested in 1570, is probably derived from the noun tsapar ("woodchopper"), from the dialectal verb tsaparim (цапарим), "to chop, to cut". Some authors suggest an etymology from the Thracian *Sapara.^[2]

Balneotherapy

Mineral water of Separeva banya was highly regarded and used as a cure by Thracians and Romans. Saparevian mineral water is clear, colorless, with smell of hydrogen sulfide, hyperthermal (temperature 103 °C), hydrocarbonate, sulphate-sodium, fluorine, silicon and sulphide. Hydrogen sulfide is 15,5 mg / L. It is claimed that the water treats disorders of the musculoskeletal system, nervous system, and upper respiratory tract, and metal poisoning.^[3]

Municipality

Sapareva Banya Town-hall

Sapareva Banya is also the seat of Sapareva Banya municipality (part of Kyustendil Province), which includes the following 3 villages:

• Ovchartsi
• Resilovo
• Saparevo

Honour

• Saparevo Glacier on Smith Island, South Shetland Islands is named after Saparevo / Sapareva Banya.
• Flavius Belisarius, the famous Roman general, was born in the town which preceded Sapareva Banya.

References

1. ↑ Gergov, Spas (1974). Bulgaria. University of Michigan: Naouka i izkoustvo. p. 206. 
2. ↑ Чолева-Димитрова, Анна М. (2002). Селищни имена от Югозападна България: Изследване. Речник (in Bulgarian). София: Пенсофт. p. 164. ISBN 954-642-168-5. OCLC 57603720. 
3. ↑ Specialized hospital for rehabilitation „Sapareva Banya” JSC in Separeva Banya

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sapareva Banya.

• www.saparevabanya.bg, official municipality website
• Sapareva.hit.bg

Cities and towns of Bulgaria (2011 census) 1,000,000+ Sofia (capital) 300,000+ Plovdiv Varna 200,000+ Burgas 100,000+ Pleven Ruse Stara Zagora 50,000+ Asenovgrad Blagoevgrad Dobrich Gabrovo Haskovo Pazardzhik Pernik Shumen Sliven Veliko Tarnovo Vratsa Yambol 20,000+ Aytos Botevgrad Dimitrovgrad Dupnitsa Gorna Oryahovitsa Kardzhali Karlovo Kazanlak Kyustendil Lom Lovech Montana Nova Zagora Petrich Razgrad Samokov Sandanski Sevlievo Silistra Smolyan Svishtov Targovishte Troyan Velingrad Vidin 10,000+ Balchik Bankya Berkovitsa Byala Slatina Cherven Bryag Chirpan Elhovo Etropole Gotse Delchev Harmanli Ihtiman Karnobat Kavarna Knezha Kostinbrod Kozloduy Mezdra Nesebar Novi Iskar Novi Pazar Panagyurishte Parvomay Pavlikeni Peshtera Pomorie Popovo Provadia Radnevo Radomir Rakovski Razlog Stamboliyski Svilengrad 5,000+ Aksakovo Bansko Belene Belogradchik Beloslav Bobov Dol Bozhurishte Byala, Ruse Province Chepelare Devin Devnya Dolni Chiflik Dryanovo Dulovo Elena Elin Pelin Galabovo General Toshevo Hisarya Isperih Kostenets Kotel Krichim Krumovgrad Kubrat Kuklen Levski Lukovit Lyaskovets Lyubimets Madan Momchilgrad Omurtag Oryahovo Perushtitsa Pirdop Rakitovo Saedinenie Septemvri Simeonovgrad Simitli Slivnitsa Sopot, Plovdiv Province Sredets Straldzha Svoge Tervel Teteven Topolovgrad Tryavna Tsarevo Tutrakan Tvarditsa Varshets Veliki Preslav Yakoruda Zlatitsa Zlatograd 2,000+ Aheloy Apriltsi Ardino Batak Batanovtsi Belitsa Belovo Borovo Bratsigovo Bregovo Breznik Byala Chernomorets Dalgopol Debelets Dobrinishte Dolna Banya Dolna Mitropoliya Dolna Oryahovitsa Dolni Dabnik Dospat Dragoman Dunavtsi Dve Mogili Dzhebel Glodzhevo Godech Gulyantsi Gurkovo Hadzhidimovo Ignatievo* Iskar Ivaylovgrad Kableshkovo Kalofer Kameno Kaspichan Kilifarevo Klisura Kocherinovo Koprivshtitsa Kostandovo Koynare Kresna Kran Krivodol Kula Laki Letnitsa Loznitsa Maglizh Malko Tarnovo Marten Мizia Nedelino Nikolaevo Nikopol Obzor Opaka Pavel Banya Polski Trambesh Pordim Pravets Primorsko Rila Roman Rudozem Sadovo Sapareva Banya Sarnitsa Shabla Shivachevo Slavyanovo Slivo Pole Smyadovo Sozopol Strazhitsa Strelcha Sungurlare Suvorovo Sveti Vlas Tran Trastenik Tsar Kaloyan Ugarchin Valchedram Valchi Dol Varbitsa Vetovo Vetren Yablanitsa Zavet Zlataritsa 1,000+ Ahtopol Alfatar Antonovo Balgarovo Boboshevo Bolyarovo Boychinovtsi Brusartsi Byala Cherkva Chiprovtsi Dimovo Glavinitsa Gramada Kaolinovo Kermen Merichleri Momin Prohod Plachkovtsi Senovo Shipka Suhindol Zemen 500+ Kiten Madzharovo Pliska 499- Melnik Notes city status after the census of 01.02.2011: Ignatievo, Kran

Municipality of Sapareva Banya Capital: Sapareva Banya Villages Ovchartsi Panichishte Resilovo Saparevo Landmarks Sapareva Banya geyser Church of St Nicholas, Sapareva Banya Culture Notable people Belisarius