Melnik, Bulgaria
Melnik
Мелник | |
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Town | |
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  Melnik Location of Melnik, Bulgaria | |
| Coordinates:41°31′N23°24′E/ 41.517°N 23.400°E | |
| Country | Bulgaria |
| Province (Oblast) | Blagoevgrad |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Atanas Petev (2015) |
| Elevation | 437 m (1,434 ft) |
| Population (2008-06-16) | |
| • Total | 385 |
| Time zone | UTC+2(EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3(EEST) |
| Postal Code | 2820 |
| Area code | 07437 |
Melnik(Bulgarian:Мелник[ˈmɛɫnik],Greek:Μελένικο,Meleniko)is a towninBlagoevgrad Province,SouthwesternBulgaria,in the SouthwesternPirin Mountains,about 440 m above sea level. The town is an architectural reserve and 96 of its buildings are cultural monuments. With a population of 385, it is the smallest town in Bulgaria, retaining its town status today for historical reasons. It is situated on the foothills of thePirinmountain range and is overlooked by theMelnik Earth Pyramids.
History
[edit]According to archaeological evidence, the first to settle in the area were theThraciantribeMedito which the famous rebelSpartacusbelonged.[1]Centuries later, the presence of theRomansleft the town one of its landmarks — theAncient Romanbridge, which is still preserved. TheSlavswho later came in these parts named the settlementMelnikafter the sand formations surrounding it on all sides (theBulgarian wordмелmelmeans "white clay, chalk" ).[1]Melnik became a part of theFirst Bulgarian Empireunder the rule ofKhanPresian I(836-852) and prospered greatly in the period. Melnik became the capital of an independent feudal principality ruled byDespotAlexius Slav,a descendant of theAsen dynasty,in 1209, and passed through an economic and cultural upsurge during his reign. The town continued to flourish underTsarIvan Asen IIbecause of the duty-free trade withVenetian-ruledDubrovnik.
TheOttomanconquest of the Balkans in the 14th-15th century resulted in a long period of decline, but Melnik was once again a thriving town in the 17th and 18th century, the time of theBulgarian National Revival,due to thetobaccoandwineproduction,[2]with wine being exported abroad, mainly toEnglandandAustria.In that time Melnik was also a centre of craftsmanship, particularly church decoration and woodcarving. Many Bulgarian schools and churches were built in Melnik in that period.
Melnik was taken by theImperial Russian Armyduring theRusso-Turkish War of 1877-1878,but was given back to theOttoman Empireaccording to theTreaty of Berlin.The town was the centre of akazain theSanjak of SirozasMenlik(orGreek:Μελένικο,Meleniko) until 1912. During theFirst Balkan War,Melnik was ultimately liberated and became once again part of Bulgaria.[1]In the late 18th century, the town had 1300 houses, seventy churches and a population of some 20,000 people, but a fire largely destroyed it.[1]Since then it has been restored and rebuilt, and still, the current population of 400 is nowhere near the one from the beginning of the 20th century, when it primarily consisted ofGreeks,but also ofBulgarians,Turks,VlachsandRomani.[3]Melnik is the subject ofYuri Trifonov's short story "The Smallest Town on Earth" (1967). According to the statistics ofVasil Kanchov( "Macedonia, Ethnography and Statistics" ), Melnik used to have 2.650 GreekChristian,950 Turkish, 500 Bulgarian Christian, 200 Romani and 30 Vlach inhabitants in 1900.[4]
At the end of the Second Balkan War in 1913, the Greeks left Melnik and moved to Greece by the express orders of the Greek government; the order being given when it was known that Melnik was to be ceded to Bulgaria.[5]According to Bulgarian claims submitted to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, some Bulgarian shops and houses were looted by retreating Greeks.[5]The Greek population moved primarily toSidirokastroand fewer settled inSerresandThessaloniki.
Climate
[edit]Melnik has a Mediterranean climate with hot summers and cool winters.
Climate table:
| Climate data for Melnik | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 6.5 (43.7) |
8.8 (47.8) |
14.5 (58.1) |
20.9 (69.6) |
26.5 (79.7) |
31.2 (88.2) |
34.3 (93.7) |
34.7 (94.5) |
28.4 (83.1) |
21.5 (70.7) |
14.6 (58.3) |
7.5 (45.5) |
20.8 (69.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 2.6 (36.7) |
4.2 (39.6) |
8.7 (47.7) |
14.1 (57.4) |
20.1 (68.2) |
23.3 (73.9) |
26.2 (79.2) |
26.1 (79.0) |
21.3 (70.3) |
15.2 (59.4) |
8.7 (47.7) |
3.8 (38.8) |
14.6 (58.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −1.7 (28.9) |
−0.8 (30.6) |
2.8 (37.0) |
7.1 (44.8) |
12.7 (54.9) |
15.6 (60.1) |
17.8 (64.0) |
18.0 (64.4) |
14.1 (57.4) |
8.7 (47.7) |
3.8 (38.8) |
0.1 (32.2) |
8.1 (46.6) |
| Averageprecipitationmm (inches) | 58 (2.3) |
49 (1.9) |
49 (1.9) |
54 (2.1) |
62 (2.4) |
59 (2.3) |
29 (1.1) |
21 (0.8) |
40 (1.6) |
54 (2.1) |
77 (3.0) |
63 (2.5) |
643 (25.3) |
| Source 1: stringmeteo.com[6][failed verification] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Hong Kong Observatory | |||||||||||||
Sights and winemaking
[edit]The unique architecture of Melnik and the nearbyRozhen Monastery(located 6 km northeast of Melnik) make it a popular tourist destination. In addition, the town has been famous for producing strong wine since at least 1346. The local wine from the varietal Broad Leave Melnik Vine was reportedly a favourite ofWinston Churchill's. Lately, the area of Melnik is enjoying a revival of vine growing and wine making. Several new, modern wineries have been built and operate (Villa Melnik Winery,Sintica Winery, Orbelus, etc.), producing high quality wine from local and international varieties.
Interesting architectural landmarks include theByzantine House,one of the oldest civilian buildings in theBalkans(built probably in the 12th or 13th century as a Bulgarian fortress), theKordopulov House(named after the merchant Manolis Kordopulou to whom it once belonged), which also has one of the largest wine cellars in Melnik, thePashov House(1815), which houses theHistorical Museum of Melnikand thePasha's House,built by IbrahimBey,one of the richest beys in the region, duringOttomanrule. Some of the old churches in the town worth visiting areSt Nicholas(built in the 13th century), SS Peter and Paul (1840), St Nicholas theThaumaturge(1756) and St Anthony.
The area around Melnik is strikingly eroded, particularly the enormous area of cliff that serves as a backdrop to the town. This area, covering some 17 km2near Melnik,KurlanovoandRozhen,has been called theMelnik Earth Pyramidsor Melnik Badlands. The hills in this area can rise up to 100 metres (330 ft) high.[7]The unique formations, which can resemble giantmushrooms,ancienttowers,andobelisks,were formed when heavy rain eroded the sand and clay the hills are composed of.[7]
Notable people
[edit]- Anastasios Polyzoidisa Greek politician and judicial official
- Anastasios Christomanos,Greek chemist
- Emanuil Vaskidovicha Bulgarian National Revival enlightener of Greek descent
- Ilija Antonovica Serbian merchant and a great benefactor
- Ivan Anastasovan IMRO revolutionary of Greek descent
Honours
[edit]Melnik Ridge[8]and its summitMelnik Peak[9]onLivingston Islandin theSouth Shetland Islands,Antarcticaare named for Melnik.
Gallery
[edit]-
Overview -
TheKordopulov Housein winter -
The famous sand pyramids -
The Ottomankonak -
Basilica of St Anthony (1765) -
The Byzantine House (12th–13th century) -
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Ruins of theSt Nicholas Church -
Despot Slav's Fortress -
View of Melnik -
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References
[edit]- ^abcdGreenway, Paul (2002).Bulgaria.Lonely Planet. p.137.ISBN1-86450-148-0.
- ^Ward, Philip (1987).Travels in Oman: On the Track of the Early Explorers.The Oleander Press. p. 234.ISBN0-906672-63-5.
- ^Editors Maria Couroucli, Tchavdar Marinov, Balkan Heritages: Negotiating History and Culture, Volume 1 of British School at Athens - Modern Greek and Byzantine Studies, Taylor & Francis, 2017,ISBN1134800754,p. 83.
- ^Kanchov, Vasil,Macedonia, Ethnography and Statistics,Sofia,1900, book 2, p. 18. Written as "Мелникъ". (in Bulgarian)
- ^abCarnegie Endowment for International peace; Division of Intercourse and Communication (1914).REPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION To Inquire into the causes and Conduct OF THE BALKAN WARS.Vol. Publication No. 4. WASHINGTON, D.C.: PUBLISHED BY THE ENDOWMENT.ISBN0-87003-032-9.,pp. 202-204
- ^"Климатични данни » България".
- ^abScheffel, Richard L.; Wernet, Susan J., eds. (1980).Natural Wonders of the World.United States of America: Reader's Digest Association, Inc. p. 243.ISBN0-89577-087-3.
- ^Melnik Ridge.SCAR Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica.
- ^Melnik Peak.SCAR Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica.
Further reading
[edit]- Kostova, Elena (2013).Medieval Melnik, from the End of the 12th Century to the End of the 14th Century: The Historical Vicissitudes of a Small Balkan Town.Sofia: American Research Center in Sofia.ISBN978-954-92571-3-7.
External links
[edit]
- D. M. Brancoff. La Macédoine et sa Population Chrétienne. Paris, 1905, 192–193
- Popovic, M. Die Siedlungsstruktur der Region Melnik in spätbyzantinischer und osmanischer Zeit. – Зборник радова Византолошког института, Т. 47 (2010), 247-276
- Todic, B. The Symbolical Investiture of the Archbishop Basil of Bulgaria at Melnik. – Zograf, 32 (2008), 59-68
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