Petrich Петрич | |
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 Coat of arms | |
  Petrich Location of Petrich | |
| Coordinates:41°23′43″N23°12′25″E / 41.39528°N 23.20694°E /41.39528; 23.20694 | |
| Country | Bulgaria |
| Province (Oblast) | Blagoevgrad |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Dimitar Bruchkov |
| Area | |
• Total | 80.421 km2 (31.051 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 168 m (551 ft) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
• Total | 26,778 |
| • Density | 332.97/km2 (862.40/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal Code | 2850 |
| Area code | (+359) 0745 |
| Website | Official website |
Petrich (Bulgarian:Петрич[ˈpɛtrit͡ʃ])is a town inBlagoevgrad Province in southwesternBulgaria, located inSandanski–Petrich Valley at the foot of theBelasica Mountains in theStrumeshnitsa Valley. According to the 2021 census, the town has 26,778 inhabitants.[1]
It is the seat ofPetrich Municipality.
Petrich is located close to the borders withGreece andNorth Macedonia. The crossing into North Macedonia is known asNovo Selo-Petrich, as the first settlement across the border isNovo Selo.
Petrich Peak onLivingston Island in theSouth Shetland Islands,Antarctica is named for Petrich.
Petrich was included in the territory of theBulgarian State during the reign of KnyazBoris I (r. 852–889). During theMiddle Ages it was a Bulgarian fortress of importance during TsarSamuil's wars (r. 997–1014) withByzantium. DuringOttoman rule, it formed part of theRumeli Eyalet, and in the 19th century became akaza of theSanjak of Serres in theSalonica Vilayet. From 19 January 1892, Petrich and its district were included in theBulgarian Exarchate, before being included in Bulgaria following theBalkan Wars in 1912–13.
In October 1925 it was the site of a brief conflict between Greece and Bulgaria sometimes called theWar of the Stray Dog.
Petrich is one of the old towns in the valley of the middleStruma. According to local historians, the present-day town of Petrich is the heir to the ancient Thracian settlement located at the southern foot of theKozhuh hill. In this area, located 10 km northeast of the modern city, in the 4th century BC, a Thracian settlement of theMedi tribe emerged. In the 1st century BC. theRomans conquered the lands of the Medes and then the small settlement near Kozhuh became a well-fortifiedRoman city - a fortress that protected the middle reaches of theStruma and Rupel gorge. According to the interpretation of the Roman historian Titus Livy, it is assumed that this city was called Petra. Archaeological excavations show that it existed until the 6th century, when it was burned by theSlavs. It is assumed that the remaining living inhabitants left the burned town and settled at the foot of the nearby mountainBelasitsa, which marked the beginning of today's town of Petrich, adding to the old name the Slavic ending "-ich".
Recent archaeological research and the location of the ancient city ofHeraclea Sintica in theKozhuh area prove that there is no continuity between this city, located in the lands of the Thracian Sinti tribe, and modern Petrich, but a hiatus of several centuries. The earliest settlements on the site of the city appear only in the X - XI century. Petrich was formed as a significant settlement and regional center only at the end of the XII - XIV century.[2]
The Petrich region was annexed to theBulgarian state in 837 as a result of the war of the Bulgarian KhanPresian against Byzantium. At the end of the 10th and the beginning of the 11th century, the lands around Petrich occupied an important military-strategic place inSamuel's state. In 1014, not far from today's town, in the so-called Kleidion gorge, a decisivebattle took place between the Bulgarian troops led byTsar Samuel and the troops of the Byzantine EmperorBasil II. The ruins of Samuel'sfortress still remind of the blinding of the captured 14,000 Bulgarian soldiers. For this act theByzantine emperor Basil II received the nickname "the Bulgar Slayer".
During the period XII - XIV century Petrich became a strong fortress - part of the fortification system in southwesternBulgaria. This is evidenced by the remains of the medieval fortressGyaur Kalesi, around which the city originally arose. At least in the XIII - XIV century the city consists of two parts - a fortress, i.e. fortified city core and unfortified outer city, but with entrance-exit arteries guarded by towers.[3]
Petrich was first mentioned in written sources in the deeds of the Serbian magnatesJovan Dragaš andKonstantin Dragaš, who in 1376 - 1377 donated local properties to the Russian monastery "St. Pantaleimon" inMount Athos.The town fell under Ottoman rule after 1395, when together with its surroundings it was included in theKyustendil Sanjak as a center of independentNahiyah.[4]
During the years ofOttoman rule, Petrich acquired a Muslim appearance. The Bulgarians fled to the oppositeOgrazhden mountain to stay away from the arbitrariness of theTurks. The Ottoman travelerEvliya Çelebi visited Petrich in 1652 and reported that the palanquin had 240 not very well-developed houses with gardens. There are all two neighborhoods with amosque, achapel, two inns and only one bathroom. The center is a kaaza with 80 villages. There are 50 shops, which suggests the level ofcrafts andtrade.[5]
During theBulgarian National Revival, Petrich rose to a new life. It fueled a stubborn struggle against Greekism to impose the Bulgarian language in schools and the church. In 1855 a Bulgarian monk fromHilendar was appointed a teacher in the town, who, seeing that no one in Petrich spokeGreek, began teaching inBulgarian, but was soon dismissed. After 1856Pancho Popmihov opened a private school, where he taught Greek and Bulgarian.[6] In 1857, with the labor and funds of the entire Christian population of the city, the Church of the Assumption was built. A service in Greek was introduced in the temple, and a Greek school was opened in its yard. It is housed in the house of Ivan Popmanolev, donated by his wife to the Church of the Assumption.[6]
In 1868, the construction of the first Bulgarian church "St. Nicholas" was completed, which became the center of the Bulgarian population's struggle against Greek propaganda. In the same year, the first Bulgarian church community was founded in Petrich, which established itself as the main unifying center of the Bulgarians in the Petrich region. With its assistance, in 1873, the first New Bulgarian school was opened by HierodeaconAgapiy Voinov. In 1876, after theApril Uprising, the Bulgarian school was closed, and the Greek silogos sent a free Greek teacher to Petrich.[7]
By virtue of theSan Stefano Peace Treaty of 1878, the city entered the borders ofliberated Bulgaria. According to the clauses of theBerlin Treaty, Petrich was returned to the Ottoman Empire, where it remained until 1912.
In 1882, the school opened its doors, withKocho Mavrodiev becoming the head teacher in the city. He made great contributions to the development of Bulgarian cultural and educational work in Petrich and the Petrich region. He was the founder of the class and girls' school in the city. On his initiative, on May 11, 1889, theholiday of Slavic writing was celebrated for the first time.[6]
At the beginning of 1892, the majority of Bulgarians in Petrich and the region officially came under the jurisdiction of theBulgarian Exarchate.
| Petrich (2004-2016) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Petrich has amediterranean climate (Köppen Climate ClassificationCsa) with an average annual temperature of 15.6 °C (60 °F). The town experiences some continental influence, especially in winter, which is cool, but warm for Bulgarian standards.
Petrich is the sunniest city inBulgaria slightly ahead ofSandanski with yearly sunshine hours exceeding 2,700 on average.
Summer is hot and sunny and it is the longest season in Petrich, lasting from May through September, even as late as October. The average summer temperature is around 25 °C. In July, the sunniest month, Petrich receives 373 hours of sunshine, making it one of the sunniest places inContinental Europe. Winter season, around two months, starts in late December and lasts until early February. Average winter temperature is one of the highest in the country with average around 5 °C. In December, the darkest month, there are 103 hours of sunshine, on average.
Climate table:
| Climate data for Petrich (2004-2016) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 9.5 (49.1) | 11.1 (52.0) | 15.6 (60.1) | 20.5 (68.9) | 26.0 (78.8) | 30.5 (86.9) | 33.5 (92.3) | 33.5 (92.3) | 28.1 (82.6) | 21.7 (71.1) | 15.5 (59.9) | 10.5 (50.9) | 21.2 (70.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.0 (39.2) | 5.5 (41.9) | 10.2 (50.4) | 14.8 (58.6) | 20.1 (68.2) | 24.0 (75.2) | 27.0 (80.6) | 27.0 (80.6) | 22.0 (71.6) | 16.1 (61.0) | 10.3 (50.5) | 5.1 (41.2) | 15.5 (59.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 0.7 (33.3) | 1.6 (34.9) | 4.5 (40.1) | 9.1 (48.4) | 14.0 (57.2) | 17.5 (63.5) | 19.6 (67.3) | 19.6 (67.3) | 15.5 (59.9) | 10.9 (51.6) | 5.8 (42.4) | 2.6 (36.7) | 10.3 (50.5) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 38 (1.5) | 38 (1.5) | 38 (1.5) | 38 (1.5) | 48 (1.9) | 39 (1.5) | 32 (1.3) | 28 (1.1) | 25 (1.0) | 38 (1.5) | 59 (2.3) | 50 (2.0) | 471 (18.5) |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 113 | 139 | 211 | 215 | 286 | 331 | 373 | 344 | 273 | 206 | 147 | 103 | 2,733 |
| Source:[8] | |||||||||||||
The town is an agricultural centre for fruit, vegetables and tobacco. It has three factories, making water level detectors, details for cranes and a furniture factory.
Transmitter Petrich is located at41°28′14″N23°19′37″E / 41.47056°N 23.32694°E /41.47056; 23.32694, about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) north-east of town center and 1.5 kilometres (1 mile) north ofNovo Konomladi village. It is a 500 kW mediumwave broadcasting station working on 747 kHz. The antenna is a 205 metres (673 feet) tallguyed mast insulated against ground and equipped with an additionalcage antenna. The mast was built in 1977.
Serres, Greece
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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