Rupite Рупите | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 | |
  Rupite Location within Bulgaria | |
| Coordinates:41°26′30″N23°14′28″E / 41.44167°N 23.24111°E /41.44167; 23.24111 | |
| Country |  Bulgaria |
| Province | Blagoevgrad |
| Municipality | Petrich |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Georgi Atanasov |
| Area | |
• Total | 9,257 km2 (3,574 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 147 m (482 ft) |
| Population (2019) | |
• Total | 926 |
| • Density | 0.100/km2 (0.259/sq mi) |
| Postal code | 2863 |
Rupite (Bulgarian:Рупите,pronounced[ˈrupitɛ]) is a village which includes a small mountainousprotected area in the southeastern part ofBlagoevgrad Province,Bulgaria, 11 kilometers northeast ofPetrich,Petrich Municipality, on the western bank of theStruma River. It is best known as the place where alleged Bulgarian clairvoyantBaba Vanga lived. The area is also associated with thecrater of anextinct volcano, the hills of Kozhuh and Pchelina, and the warmthermal springs. The village has 1,124 inhabitants.
The landscape of Rupite is dominated by the eminence of Kozhuh (кожух, "fur coat," taking its name from its shape) to the west. Although it is only 281 m high, it rises prominently from the flat Petrich Plain. The eminence, which is part of the outskirts of an extinctvolcano, consists of three small summits, of which the middle one is the highest.Volcanic rocks and rock pyramids can be observed at the foot of Kozhuh.
The climate in the locality is transitional betweencontinental andMediterranean, featuring hot, dry summers and relatively mild winters. The natural vegetation consists mainly ofwhite poplar (Populus alba), and there are 13 plant speciesendangered in Bulgaria. Almost all of thesnake species observed in the country can be found in Rupite, including theEuropean cat snake (Telescopus fallax), as well as four species oftortoises. A total of 201 bird species inhabit the area. Via Aristotelis, which passes nearby, is one of the two main bird migration routes through Bulgaria. Some bird species include theolive-tree warbler (Hippolais olivetorum),masked shrike (Lanius nubicus), andlesser grey shrike (Lanius minor). Thepygmy cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmaeus) winters in the area.
Because of its volcanic origin and the abundance of rare species of bothflora andfauna, Kozhuh is a proclaimed natural landmark since 1962. A 0.4-hectare protected area is located about 2 km from the village of Rupite at the eastern foot of Kozhuh.
Rupite is also famous for its healing mineral springs with a temperature of 71-78 °C and an average discharge of 35 L/s.
Remains of an ancient town were discovered at the southwestern foot of Kozhuh. In 2002, a Latin inscription dated 308 CE and consisting of an imperial appeal addressed to the local urban citizens, suggests that the settlement wasHeraclea Sintica. The town likely existed from 4th century BCE to the 6th century CE, and was the main town of theThracian tribe Sints.
Today Rupite is mostly famous as the residence of the late alleged clairvoyantBaba Vanga (Vangeliya Gushterova, 1911 – 1996), who still attracts thousands of worshipers and tourists. According to a legend, Vanga lost her sight during a storm in her early childhood, but during the accident she had a vision, which gave her clairvoyance abilities. In the last years of her life, Vanga lived in a small house in Rupite, because according to her relatives she considered the area an "energy source" from which she collected her powers.According to the statistics ofVasil Kanchov in 1900, Shirbanovo (as it was known before) was populated by 252 Bulgarian Christians.
The village of Rupite had 926 inhabitants at the end of 2019, up from 626 inhabitants in 1934 but down from 1,248 people in 1985. The population is declining sinceFall of Communism.[1] Nearly all inhabitants are ethnic Bulgarians (99.6%).
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The memorial temple "St. Petka of Bulgaria" was sponsored by Baba Vanga and built in 1994 at a site chosen by her in 1992. It has since become a place of worship for many people and a renowned tourist attraction. The icons were created by artistSvetlin Rusev and were not generally approved by theHoly Synod of theBulgarian Orthodox Church for being too realistic and not conforming to the canons. The house of Vanga can be seen nearby, and a new monastery is currently under construction.
Rupite Glacier onSmith Island,South Shetland Islands is named after Rupite.
