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A Legend for Neviastata and some interesting facts about the town of Smolyan

 

The rock massif Neviastata (The Bride) is a part of an unique natural landscape at the valley of Cherna river and it is situated west from the town of Smolyan. There is a number of legends about the name of the rock. One of them is about a girl from Smolyan - a love of one of the Karadja voivode rebels that was demanded for a local Turkish ruler. She agreed but asked to have a look at her birth place for a last time before the marriage. She run away and threw herself down the rock. From then on the rock was named Neviastata. There is one more legend about this rock connected with the painful ottoman reign. The ottomans invaded the native villagers from Raykovo because they wanted by force to convert them to Mohammedanism. A group of brave bulgarians retaliated and killed them off. A posse set out to look for the rebellious bulgarians and when the turks reached this rock they heard a baby crying. A mother with a newborn was standing next to the rock. She refused to tell in which direction the rebellions went and the turks slayed her and her baby and painted the rock with their blood. Another version of the legend is that this happened when the turks invaded these places. They killed the mother and the baby, because she did not give out the secret way to the fortress Aetos for which capture the turks gave many victims.

The town of Smolyan (altitude 800m-1000m) is situated in the central part of the Rhodopes on a territory of 879 square km., 67% of which is occupied by centuries-old conifer forests. The town occupies a larger part of the Cherna river widening known as the Smolyan hollow. Surrounded by green meadows and centuries-old forests the town of Smolyan is 90 km. away from Plovdiv and it is bounded by Greece on south.

 

 

The territory of Smolyan municipality is a mountain relief with abundance of conifer forests and pastures. The average altitude is about 1300m. (the lowest point – 700 m., the highest – 2191m). The average altitude of the town of Smolyan is 987m. The Rhodope relief is a combination of high ridges divided by deep river valleys. The deep valley of Vacha river divides West Rhodopes into two fundamental parts – Batashko-Dabrashka and Pereliksko-Prespanska. The Smolyan hollow,where the town of Smolyan is situated , is placed in Pereliksko-Prespanska part. It has trough form long 9 km and wide 5 km. The relief at the bottom is terrace-like with amphitheatrical slopes and ends with unscalable batters which adds unnatural beauty to this region. Their prismatic rock decay is the reason for the forming of whimsical rock forms like Neviastata.

The rock zone which surrounds the hollow from west is called the Big and the Small wall, on northwest is the highest peak in Rhodopes – Big Perelik (2191) on north it is outlined by Perelik Bilo that ends up at Rojen pass (1428m.) and on south it is surrounded by Kaynadin hill. Its name originates from peak Kaynadina (1607m), which means spring (kaynak).

The nature sights which one has to see at all costs are the rock phenomenon Neviastata, the rock Momata, which is around a kilometer away from Shiroka laka, the Canyon of the Waterfalls, The Planetree, the Smolyan wakes and some others. 

Momata is a beautiful rock which seen from a distance resembles a girl with distaff in her hand. Its formation is a result of the rocks erosion and the effect of the external earth energy which shaped the unique formation. There is a very nice legend for this formation told by locals.

The Canyon of Waterfalls is situated west of Smolyan not far away from Cherna river. The waterfalls are a part of an eco-track, which begins from “Soskvcheto” reserve. 

The planetree is brought from Greece in 19 century. The head of the tree is around 600 square meters. It is situated close to Sokolitza hotel in the old part of the town. The century old tree is a part on an unique ensemble including mosque and Christian church with the only wooden church tower in the municipality.

The Smolyan wakes that are seven in number are situated in the beginning of the town in the direction of Prevala pick and have earth creep origin. They are one of the famous nature sights in the region and attract many tourists with their animal and plant variety. The highest wake is situated below Sechimeka peak and it is 4.5 m. deep and 150 m. long.

 

 

 

 

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