Devnya
Encyclopedia
Devnya is a town in Varna Province, Northeastern Bulgaria
, located about 25 km away to the west from the city of Varna
and The Black Sea Coast
. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Devnya Municipality
. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 8,383 inhabitants.
It lies at the western shore of Lake Beloslav
in the northeastern end of the Devnya Valley and along the southern slopes of the Dobruja
Plateau, in the close proximity to the Black Sea
. Two rivers, Devnya and Provadiya, empty into the lake nearby. The landscape is mostly karst
with 30 karst springs with a debit of 3700 litres per second used for water supply for Devnya, Varna and the local industries. One of the largest springs, feeding a pool, is open for visitors. Along the river mouths there are extensive wetlands once rich in fish and crabs but now polluted by industrial waste.
Local landmarks include Roman
remains of ancient Marcianopolis
, including an amphitheatre
and the Mosaics Museum
, featuring some exquisite Roman mosaics http://liternet.bg/publish10/aangelov/mozaikite.htm in situ, and Pobiti Kamani
("stone forest"), a rock phenomenon to the east.
city of Marcianopolis
(Μαρκιανούπολις) founded by Roman Emperor
Trajan
after the Second Dacian War, which ended in 106. The city was named after Trajan's sister, Ulpia Marciana
. An important strategic centre, the city was part of Roman Thrace
until 187-193, and then belonged to Moesia inferior. Marcianopolis's prosperity under the Severan Dynasty
was ended by a Gothic
raid in 248-249 and subsequent barbarian invasions from the north.
Under Emperor Diocletian
Marcianopolis became the centre of the province Moesia Secunda of the Diocese of Thrace, and was rebuilt thoroughly in the late 3rd and early 4th century. It grew in importance at the expense of neighbouring Odessos (Varna) in the 4th century. The city was an important episcopal centre and a basilica from the period was excavated in the 20th century. During Emperor Valens
' conflict with the Goths (366-369), Marcianopolis was a temporary capital of the empire and the largest city of Thrace according to a source from the period.
Despite the regular barbarian attacks, Marcianopolis remained an important centre until an Avar
raid finally destroyed it in 614-615, although it still continued to be mentioned in maps until much later.
in the 7th century they called the ruins of the ancient city Devina, from Proto-Indo-European
*dhew-(i)na or *dhew-eina ("spring, source, stream, current") through Thracian
, but associated with Slavic deva ("virgin"). A small Bulgar
fortress existed at the place during the Middle Ages, possibly built under Omurtag
in the 9th century and extended to the north in the 10th or 11th century. A large 9th-century Bulgar mass grave has been excavated.
After the Ottoman
invasion of the Balkans the fortress was destroyed and abandoned, with the settlement moved to the west. A village by the name of Devne is mentioned in a tax register from 1573, with other forms of the name also attested by foreign and Bulgarian travellers in the 16th and 17th century, sometimes used to designate the river.
After the Liberation of Bulgaria
from Ottoman rule the village was called Devne until 1934, when it was substituted by the form Devnya. The lower river Devnya was a traditional industrial centre since Ottoman times with numerous watermill
s serving much or riverless Southern Dobruja
, a breadbasket area. On 27 August 1969 the town of Devnya was formed through the merger of the villages Devnya, Reka Devnya and Povelyanovo.
and a number of important heavy industry
facilities are located in or near the town, making it a chemical industry centre of national importance. Among these are:
Devnya is also a major transportation hub with the inland Port of Varna
West and two railway stations. The Devnya industrial cluster produced 14% of the Bulgarian exports by volume (2004). The privatization of Solvay Sodi AD (formerly Sodi Devnya EAD) was the second largest cash privatization deal in the nation after 1989.
on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
, Antarctica is named after Devnya.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, located about 25 km away to the west from the city of Varna
Varna
Varna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 334,870 inhabitants according to Census 2011...
and The Black Sea Coast
Bulgarian Black Sea Coast
The Bulgarian Black Sea Coast covers the entire eastern bound of Bulgaria stretching from the Romanian Black Sea resorts in the north to European Turkey in the south, along 378 km of coastline. White and golden sandy beaches occupy approximately 130 km of the 378 km long coast...
. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Devnya Municipality
Devnya Municipality
Devnya Municipality is a municipality in Varna Province, Northeastern Bulgaria, not far from the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. It is named after its administrative centre - the town of Devnya....
. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 8,383 inhabitants.
It lies at the western shore of Lake Beloslav
Lake Beloslav
Lake Beloslav is a liman, which connected by the navigation canal with the Lake Varna. Before the canal was built the lake was freshwater, but not the water if brackish. The rivers Devnya and Provadiyska inflow to the Lake Beloslav. The area of the liman is about 40-10 km2, width 0.5-3.5 km,...
in the northeastern end of the Devnya Valley and along the southern slopes of the Dobruja
Dobruja
Dobruja is a historical region shared by Bulgaria and Romania, located between the lower Danube river and the Black Sea, including the Danube Delta, Romanian coast and the northernmost part of the Bulgarian coast...
Plateau, in the close proximity to the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
. Two rivers, Devnya and Provadiya, empty into the lake nearby. The landscape is mostly karst
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
with 30 karst springs with a debit of 3700 litres per second used for water supply for Devnya, Varna and the local industries. One of the largest springs, feeding a pool, is open for visitors. Along the river mouths there are extensive wetlands once rich in fish and crabs but now polluted by industrial waste.
Local landmarks include Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
remains of ancient Marcianopolis
Marcianopolis
Marcianopolis or Marcianople was an ancient Roman city in Thracia. It was located at the site of modern day Devnya, Bulgaria.-History:...
, including an amphitheatre
Amphitheatre
An amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
and the Mosaics Museum
Museum of Mosaics, Devnya
The Museum of Mosaics is a museum in the town of Devnya in Varna Province, northeastern Bulgaria. The museum, built on top of a large ruined Roman villa from Late Antiquity, exhibits mosaics from the Roman and early Byzantine city of Marcianopolis, as well as other archaeological artifacts.-Villa...
, featuring some exquisite Roman mosaics http://liternet.bg/publish10/aangelov/mozaikite.htm in situ, and Pobiti Kamani
Pobiti Kamani
Pobiti Kamani is a rock phenomenon located in Varna Province, Bulgaria, on the road between Varna and Sofia around several villages just west of Varna. It consists of several groups of natural rock formations on a total area of 70 km². The formations are mainly stone columns between 5 and 7...
("stone forest"), a rock phenomenon to the east.
Ancient history
Devnya lies at the site of the Ancient Roman and Early ByzantineByzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
city of Marcianopolis
Marcianopolis
Marcianopolis or Marcianople was an ancient Roman city in Thracia. It was located at the site of modern day Devnya, Bulgaria.-History:...
(Μαρκιανούπολις) founded by Roman Emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
Trajan
Trajan
Trajan , was Roman Emperor from 98 to 117 AD. Born into a non-patrician family in the province of Hispania Baetica, in Spain Trajan rose to prominence during the reign of emperor Domitian. Serving as a legatus legionis in Hispania Tarraconensis, in Spain, in 89 Trajan supported the emperor against...
after the Second Dacian War, which ended in 106. The city was named after Trajan's sister, Ulpia Marciana
Ulpia Marciana
Ulpia Marciana was the beloved elder sister of Roman Emperor Trajan. She was the eldest child born to Roman woman Marcia and the Spanish Roman senator Marcus Ulpius Traianus. Her second name Marciana she inherited from her mother’s paternal ancestors. Her birthplace is unknown.Marciana married...
. An important strategic centre, the city was part of Roman Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
until 187-193, and then belonged to Moesia inferior. Marcianopolis's prosperity under the Severan Dynasty
Severan dynasty
The Severan dynasty was a Roman imperial dynasty, which ruled the Roman Empire between 193 and 235. The dynasty was founded by the Roman general Septimius Severus, who rose to power during the civil war of 193, known as the Year of the Five Emperors....
was ended by a Gothic
Goths
The Goths were an East Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin whose two branches, the Visigoths and the Ostrogoths, played an important role in the fall of the Roman Empire and the emergence of Medieval Europe....
raid in 248-249 and subsequent barbarian invasions from the north.
Under Emperor Diocletian
Diocletian
Diocletian |latinized]] upon his accession to Diocletian . c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor from 284 to 305....
Marcianopolis became the centre of the province Moesia Secunda of the Diocese of Thrace, and was rebuilt thoroughly in the late 3rd and early 4th century. It grew in importance at the expense of neighbouring Odessos (Varna) in the 4th century. The city was an important episcopal centre and a basilica from the period was excavated in the 20th century. During Emperor Valens
Valens
Valens was the Eastern Roman Emperor from 364 to 378. He was given the eastern half of the empire by his brother Valentinian I after the latter's accession to the throne...
' conflict with the Goths (366-369), Marcianopolis was a temporary capital of the empire and the largest city of Thrace according to a source from the period.
Despite the regular barbarian attacks, Marcianopolis remained an important centre until an Avar
Eurasian Avars
The Eurasian Avars or Ancient Avars were a highly organized nomadic confederacy of mixed origins. They were ruled by a khagan, who was surrounded by a tight-knit entourage of nomad warriors, an organization characteristic of Turko-Mongol groups...
raid finally destroyed it in 614-615, although it still continued to be mentioned in maps until much later.
Middle Ages, Ottoman rule and liberated Bulgaria
As the Slavs settled in the BalkansBalkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
in the 7th century they called the ruins of the ancient city Devina, from Proto-Indo-European
Proto-Indo-European language
The Proto-Indo-European language is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European languages, spoken by the Proto-Indo-Europeans...
*dhew-(i)na or *dhew-eina ("spring, source, stream, current") through Thracian
Thracian language
The Thracian language was the Indo-European language spoken in ancient times in Southeastern Europe by the Thracians, the northern neighbors of the Ancient Greeks. The Thracian language exhibits satemization: it either belonged to the Satem group of Indo-European languages or it was strongly...
, but associated with Slavic deva ("virgin"). A small Bulgar
Bulgars
The Bulgars were a semi-nomadic who flourished in the Pontic Steppe and the Volga basin in the 7th century.The Bulgars emerge after the collapse of the Hunnic Empire in the 5th century....
fortress existed at the place during the Middle Ages, possibly built under Omurtag
Omurtag of Bulgaria
Omurtag was a Great Khan of Bulgaria from 814 to 831. He is known as "the Builder".In the very beginning of his reign he signed a 30-year peace treaty with the neighboring Eastern Roman Empire which remained in force to the end of his life...
in the 9th century and extended to the north in the 10th or 11th century. A large 9th-century Bulgar mass grave has been excavated.
After the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
invasion of the Balkans the fortress was destroyed and abandoned, with the settlement moved to the west. A village by the name of Devne is mentioned in a tax register from 1573, with other forms of the name also attested by foreign and Bulgarian travellers in the 16th and 17th century, sometimes used to designate the river.
After the Liberation of Bulgaria
Liberation of Bulgaria
In Bulgarian historiography, the term Liberation of Bulgaria is used to denote the events of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 that led to the re-establishment of Bulgarian state with the Treaty of San Stefano of March 3, 1878, after the complete conquest of the Second Bulgarian Empire, which...
from Ottoman rule the village was called Devne until 1934, when it was substituted by the form Devnya. The lower river Devnya was a traditional industrial centre since Ottoman times with numerous watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
s serving much or riverless Southern Dobruja
Southern Dobruja
Southern Dobruja is an area of north-eastern Bulgaria comprising the administrative districts named for its two principal cities of Dobrich and Silistra...
, a breadbasket area. On 27 August 1969 the town of Devnya was formed through the merger of the villages Devnya, Reka Devnya and Povelyanovo.
Economy
Devnya is part of the Varna-Devnya Industrial ComplexVarna-Devnya Industrial Complex
The Devnya Industrial Complex consists of several important factories and companies in the chemical industry sector of Bulgaria. The reason why Devnya has become the host of this cluster is that the region is relatively rich in raw materials like water, rock salt, silica, marl, and limestone...
and a number of important heavy industry
Heavy industry
Heavy industry does not have a single fixed meaning as compared to light industry. It can mean production of products which are either heavy in weight or in the processes leading to their production. In general, it is a popular term used within the name of many Japanese and Korean firms, meaning...
facilities are located in or near the town, making it a chemical industry centre of national importance. Among these are:
- Solvay Sodi AD — sodium bicarbonateSodium bicarbonateSodium bicarbonate or sodium hydrogen carbonate is the chemical compound with the formula Na HCO3. Sodium bicarbonate is a white solid that is crystalline but often appears as a fine powder. It has a slightly salty, alkaline taste resembling that of washing soda . The natural mineral form is...
, dense and light soda ash, largest soda plant in Europe (2007); part of the SolvaySolvay (company)Solvay S.A. is a Belgian chemical company with its head office in Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium. It was founded in 1863 by Ernest Solvay to produce sodium carbonate by the solvay process. Since then the company has diversified to two major sectors of activity: chemicals and plastics...
Group - Agropolychim AD — nitrogen, phosphate and compound fertilizerFertilizerFertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
s, exports to Europe (49% of output), the Americas (11%), Asia (9%), and supplying more than 50% of the Bulgarian market, member of the Acid & Fertilizers LLC (joint venture of Harland Investments Ltd., United States, with 99%, and Belgium's Cumerio with 1% share). - Polimeri AD — liquid chlorineChlorineChlorine is the chemical element with atomic number 17 and symbol Cl. It is the second lightest halogen, found in the periodic table in group 17. The element forms diatomic molecules under standard conditions, called dichlorine...
, dichloroethaneDichloroethaneDichloroethane can refer to either of two isomeric organochlorides with the molecular formula C2H4Cl2:* 1,1-Dichloroethane * 1,2-Dichloroethane...
, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), hydrochloric acidHydrochloric acidHydrochloric acid is a solution of hydrogen chloride in water, that is a highly corrosive, strong mineral acid with many industrial uses. It is found naturally in gastric acid....
, chlorine lime, carbideCarbideIn chemistry, a carbide is a compound composed of carbon and a less electronegative element. Carbides can be generally classified by chemical bonding type as follows: salt-like, covalent compounds, interstitial compounds, and "intermediate" transition metal carbides...
, and emulsion polyvinyl chloridePolyvinyl chloridePolyvinyl chloride, commonly abbreviated PVC, is a thermoplastic polymer. It is a vinyl polymer constructed of repeating vinyl groups having one hydrogen replaced by chloride. Polyvinyl chloride is the third most widely produced plastic, after polyethylene and polypropylene. PVC is widely used in...
; AKB Fores portfolio company - Devnya Cement — cementCementIn the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
; part of ItalcementiItalcementiItalcementi is an Italian multinational company, quoted on the Borsa Italiana, which produces cement, ready-mix concrete and construction aggregates... - Devnya Sugar Plant (Litex Sugar) — refined sugarSugarSugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
; part of Litex Commerce JSC - Deven AD — thermal power plant (steam station owned by Solvay Sodi)
- Provadsol AD — brine (near ProvadiyaProvadiyaProvadia is a town in northeastern Bulgaria, part of Varna Province, located in a deep karst gorge along the Provadia River not far from the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Provadiya Municipality. As of December 2009, the town has a population of...
; owned by Solvay Sodi) - Devnya Limestone AD (owned by Solvay Sodi)
Devnya is also a major transportation hub with the inland Port of Varna
Port of Varna
Port of Varna is the largest seaport complex in Bulgaria. Located on the Black Sea's west coast on Varna Bay, along Lake Varna and Lake Beloslav, it also comprises the outlying port of Balchik...
West and two railway stations. The Devnya industrial cluster produced 14% of the Bulgarian exports by volume (2004). The privatization of Solvay Sodi AD (formerly Sodi Devnya EAD) was the second largest cash privatization deal in the nation after 1989.
Municipality
Devnya is also the seat of Devnya municipality (part of Varna Province), which includes the following 2 villages:- Kipra
- PadinaPadina, Varna ProvincePadina, Oblast is a village of approximately 340 people situated in Devnya Municipality, Bulgaria.Small and middle-sized farmers producing grane, corn, wheat, sunflowers, cow milk, goat milk, sheep milk, meat, chicken, geese, ducks and other poultry.An old school house offers good food and an...
Honour
Devnya ValleyDevnya Valley
Devnya Valley is 2.5-km long and 700 m wide and is situated between the north slopes of Great Needle Peak and Helmet Peak in Levski Ridge, Tangra Mountains on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands. The valley holds a side tributary of Huron Glacier...
on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...
, Antarctica is named after Devnya.