Sopot, Bulgaria
Encyclopedia
Sopot is a Bulgaria
n town situated in the fertile sub-Balkan mountain valley of Karlovo
(which is the western part of the famous Rose Valley
), immediately below the steep southern slopes of the Troyan Balkan Mountain (Central Stara Planina). Sopot is part of Plovdiv Province
and is the administrative centre of a municipality.
It lies 5 km west of Karlovo
, 136 km east of Sofia
, 63 km north of Plovdiv
and 61 km south of Troyan
. It is the birthplace of arguably the best known and most renowned Bulgarian novelist, Ivan Vazov
. Sopot is also a machine building centre.
According to Konstantin Jireček, the toponym is of Proto-Slavic origin, as indicated by the large number of identical placenames
all around the Slavic world. There is information about the locality dating back to the Ottoman
rule. During the Bulgarian National Revival
(18th-19th century) it was called "Golden Sopot" because of its flourishing development in the crafts and trade. The citizens of Sopot manufactured homespun, braids, fur and leather of high quality and traded predominantly round the Ottoman Empire.
During the struggle for liberation in 1877 the town was largely destroyed by fire and its population was slaughtered or expelled. The town was named Vazovgrad between 1950 and 1965 after which it obtained its present name again.
The pioneering Bulgarian educator Nedelya Petkova
(1826–1894) began her career a student at the monastery school of the “Holy presentation of the Blessed Virgin” convent in Sopot.
The population is almost exclusively Christian
, mostly Eastern Orthodox
but with some Evangelical
and Roman Catholic
families.
on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
, Antarctica is named after Sopot.
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...
n town situated in the fertile sub-Balkan mountain valley of Karlovo
Karlovo
Karlovo is a picturesque and a historically important town in central Bulgaria located in a fertile valley along the river Stryama at the southern foot of the Balkan Mountains...
(which is the western part of the famous Rose Valley
Rose Valley, Bulgaria
The Rose Valley is a region in Bulgaria located just south of the Balkan Mountains and the eastern part of the lower Sredna Gora chain to the south...
), immediately below the steep southern slopes of the Troyan Balkan Mountain (Central Stara Planina). Sopot is part of Plovdiv Province
Plovdiv Province
Plovdiv Province is a province in central southern Bulgaria. It comprises 18 municipalities on a territory of 5,972.9 km² with a total population, as of December 2009, of 701,684 inhabitants...
and is the administrative centre of a municipality.
It lies 5 km west of Karlovo
Karlovo
Karlovo is a picturesque and a historically important town in central Bulgaria located in a fertile valley along the river Stryama at the southern foot of the Balkan Mountains...
, 136 km east of Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, 63 km north of Plovdiv
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
and 61 km south of Troyan
Troyan
Troyan is a town in Lovech Province in central Bulgaria with population of 21,997 inhabitants, as of December 2009,. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Troyan Municipality. The town is about 160 km away from the country capital Sofia. The nearest civilian airport is Gorna...
. It is the birthplace of arguably the best known and most renowned Bulgarian novelist, Ivan Vazov
Ivan Vazov
Ivan Minchov Vazov was a Bulgarian poet, novelist and playwright, often referred to as "the Patriarch of Bulgarian literature". He was born in Sopot, a town in the Rose Valley of Bulgaria ....
. Sopot is also a machine building centre.
According to Konstantin Jireček, the toponym is of Proto-Slavic origin, as indicated by the large number of identical placenames
Sopot (disambiguation)
Sopot is an old Slavic word which means "spring" . Sopot is the name of several places:* in Albania** Sopot, Albania, an area in north-east Albania* in Bulgaria** Sopot, Plovdiv Province - a town in the Sopot Municipality of the Plovdiv Province...
all around the Slavic world. There is information about the locality dating back to 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...
rule. During the Bulgarian National Revival
Bulgarian National Revival
The Bulgarian National Revival , sometimes called the Bulgarian Renaissance, was a period of socio-economic development and national integration among Bulgarian people under Ottoman rule...
(18th-19th century) it was called "Golden Sopot" because of its flourishing development in the crafts and trade. The citizens of Sopot manufactured homespun, braids, fur and leather of high quality and traded predominantly round the Ottoman Empire.
During the struggle for liberation in 1877 the town was largely destroyed by fire and its population was slaughtered or expelled. The town was named Vazovgrad between 1950 and 1965 after which it obtained its present name again.
The pioneering Bulgarian educator Nedelya Petkova
Nedelya Petkova
Nedelya Petkova was a Bulgarian education pioneer. In 1859 she began teaching girls and developed this into a school system for girls across the Bulgarian part of the Ottoman Empire, with hundreds of girls attending classes....
(1826–1894) began her career a student at the monastery school of the “Holy presentation of the Blessed Virgin” convent in Sopot.
The population is almost exclusively Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, mostly Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
but with some Evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
and Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
families.
Honour
Sopot Ice PiedmontSopot Ice Piedmont
Sopot Ice Piedmont is situated on Burgas Peninsula, Livingston Island, Antarctica, extending 7.5 km in east-west direction and 2.4 km in south-north direction...
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 Sopot.