Welcome to Kardzhali

In the water mirror a part of the waters of the river Arda is seen by the rays of the Rhodope sun and the statue of the mythical singer Orpheus welcomes the guests of the town and the tune out of his lyre melody tells of the history of this place recorded on the map as Kardzhali.
Kardzhali is located in southern Bulgaria on the two banks of the river Arda. It is 47 km away from Haskovo, 84 km from Smolyan, 95 km from Plovdiv, 111 km from Stara Zagora, 243 km from Sofia, 78 km from Gyumyurdzina and 383 km from Istanbul. Its climate is continental-Mediterranean with many sunny days in the summer and with relatively mild winter. In antiquity it was inhabited by Protracas, Thracians, Hellenes, Romans, Slavs, Proto-Bulgarians, Byzantines, Latins and Ottoman Turks. Through The Middle Ages bears the name of Visegrad, then it was a significant Episcopal Christian center, and the traces of the First and Second Bulgarian Kingdom still appear. Through From 1370 to 1371, the local population is carrying heavy battles with the raids of Ottoman Turks by Murad First. Most of it is slaughtered or assimilated. There are two hypotheses about the origin of the city's name. Some researchers suggest that Kardjali and associated with the Kardzhali movement from the late 18th and early 19th centuries, which undermines the Ottoman rule. According to another version, the name Kurdjali comes from Kurdza Ali of Bukhara - a mythical Ottoman general, who conquered these places through 14th century and became then a preacher. Under the Berlin peace treaty, Kurdjali falls into Eastern Rumelia, an autonomous area under Sultana's rule, but after The unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia in 1885 to compensate the Ottoman Empire a year later, Kardzhali was joined to Gyumyurghinski sanjak. In October 1912 the city was freed from the Haskovo detachment and has since been in Bulgaria. In honor of his liberators in 1939 a monument was erected in the center of the city.
Kardzhali is a beautiful and tidy village. Here are some remarkable buildings such as the City Hall, the Regional Museum of History, whose building is designed by Russian architect Professor Alexander Pomerantsev, who designed the Alexander Nevsky cathedral. The facade of the museum is in Neo-mauritan style with dominating Moroccan arches and details typical of the Arab world and Central Asia. Other interesting places are the Dimitar Dimov Drama-Puppet Theater, the Stanka Dimitrova Art Gallery with one of the richest gallery collections in Bulgaria. Here you can see works by Vladimir Dimitrov - The Master, Svetlin Rusev, Dechko Uzunov. Wonderful are the Clock Tower, St. John the Baptist Monastery, founded between the 6-8 century, the temple "St. George the Victorious" built in the early 20th century in the center of the city, which is also a monument of culture; the Orthodox spiritual center "Uspenie Bogorodichno" built on the initiative of Father Boyan Saraev. It contains particles of the Holy Cross, and in the courtyard is built the agiasm "Living source", which is believed to be God's mother she said many people would come from here for healing. The city has mosques for Muslim believers. 15 km from the town is the ancient complex Perperikon, which consists of a megalith sanctuary of 8000 years ago, monuments of antiquity and a medieval fortress. In the Thracians Perperek was a sacred rock city, capital and fortress. Later, there lived Romans, Goths, and Bulgarians. It was destroyed during the Ottoman invasion in the 14th century.
Other notable objects are:
- near the village of Tatul, the alleged grave of Orpheus
- The Thracian sanctuary "Orlovi skali". There are rock niches, in which the Thracians have laid the murals of their deceased fellows.
- The medieval fortress Monyak. A part of the outer wall and two overground water reservoirs are preserved
- The Thracian Fortress near the village of Ivantzi. Here is a marble slab with an image of Zeus
- Thracian fortress and rock niches near the village of the Foxes
- The Hissar fortress near the village of Vishegrad
- The Ustra Fortress has retained part of the foundations of many buildings and towers. It dates back to the Middle Ages and for the most part of its existence was under Byzantine rule. It is near the village of Ustra, coming from Djebel. The path leading to the fortress leads to Ustra hut.
In the vicinity of Kardzhali are the wonderful rock formations Stone Wedding and Stone Mushrooms, the "Valchi Dol" home is the flower "silvaryak" or Orpheus flower, because it is believed to have been born of Orpheus blood. Along with it blooms snowball, red peony and tree blue juniper. Many people who believe in the miracle of life-giving water come to Dambaly, over the village of Gruevo. The name comes from the Turkish "dama," meaning a drop. This water springs once a year from a high rock on the night of May 5th to May 6, when the St. George's sky opens and is believed to heal.
Again, near Kardzhali, 26 km away is the largest deposit of white birches on the Balkan Peninsula, the Utrobata Cave and the Devil's Bridge - the largest Rhodopes a bridge that is medieval. Below it is the Arda River, which forms beautiful meanders and a picturesque canyon. Along the river itself are built three dams - Kardzhali, Studen Kladenets and Borovitsa.
If you are in town attractive for walk is the Water Mirror of the river Arda, which will become a place for recreation with its parks and a place for practicing water sports. You can spend some nights in one of the hospitable hotels or enjoy nature relaxing in Borovitsa, Milchino and Beli Brezi huts.
Exiting Kardzhali, under the rays of the merciful Rhodopean sun, reflected in the waters of the Arda River, you will take a piece of this place and mention the flower silvery, the flower of Orpheus.