Dospat
Encyclopedia
Dospat is a town in the very south of Bulgaria
, part of Smolyan Province
, situated in the Rhodope Mountains
, close to Dospat Dam. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Dospat Municipality
. As of December 2010, the town has a population of 2,425 inhabitants who are mainly Pomaks
.
The town was probably founded by Despot Alexius Slav
in the 12th-13th century, from whose title (despot
) its name is very likely derived.
Dospat Dam is the highest dam in Bulgaria by altitude and, with its 22 km² of water area, the second largest in capacity. It is fed by the river Dospat. At the bottom of the lake is a former German military airport from the Second World War.
on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
, Antarctica is named after Dospat.
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...
, part of Smolyan Province
Smolyan Province
-Religion:The Smolyan province along with the Kardzhali Province is a province where the predominant religion is not Orthodox Christianity but Islam. However, unlike Kardzhali where the majority of the population is Turkish, the Muslim population of the Smolyan province is made up almost entirely...
, situated in the Rhodope Mountains
Rhodope Mountains
The Rhodopes are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, with over 83% of its area in southern Bulgaria and the remainder in Greece. Its highest peak, Golyam Perelik , is the seventh highest Bulgarian mountain...
, close to Dospat Dam. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Dospat Municipality
Dospat Municipality
The Dospat Municipality is a municipality in southwestern Bulgaria and is one of the municipalities in the Smolyan Province.- Geography :It covers the southwestern Rhodope Mountains. 8 settlemements belong to the municipality with a total of 10 536 inhabitants .- Settlements in the municipality :...
. As of December 2010, the town has a population of 2,425 inhabitants who are mainly Pomaks
Pomaks
Pomaks is a term used for a Slavic Muslim population native to some parts of Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo. The Pomaks speak Bulgarian as their native language, also referred to in Greece and Turkey as Pomak language, and some are fluent in Turkish,...
.
The town was probably founded by Despot Alexius Slav
Despot Alexius Slav
Alexius Slav was a Bulgarian noble of the 12th and 13th century and a descendant of the Asen dynasty, a nephew of the first three Asen brothers...
in the 12th-13th century, from whose title (despot
Despotes
Despot , was a senior Byzantine court title that was bestowed on the sons or sons-in-law of reigning emperors, and initially denoted the heir-apparent...
) its name is very likely derived.
Honour
Dospat PeakDospat Peak
Dospat Peak is a mountain peak in the Vidin Heights on Varna Peninsula, Livingston Island, part of the South Shetland Islands off the coast of Antarctica. The peak is named after the town of Dospat in the Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria.-Location:...
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 Dospat.