Haskovo
Haskovo
Хасково | |
---|---|
City | |
UTC+3 (EEST) | |
Postal Code | 6300 |
Area code | 038 |
Vehicle registration | X |
Website | Official website |
Haskovo (Bulgarian: Хасково [ˈxaskovo]) is a city in the region of Northern Thrace in southern Bulgaria and the administrative centre of the Haskovo Province, not far from the borders with Greece and Turkey. According to Operative Program Regional Development of Bulgaria, the urban area of Haskovo is the seventh largest in Bulgaria and has a population of 184,731 inhabitants. Haskovo has a population of 64,564 as of 2022, making it Bulgaria's 12th largest city.
The first settlement found in Haskovo is from circa 5000 BC. Haskovo celebrated its 1,000th anniversary as a town in 1985. To mark the event, a new clock tower was erected in the centre of the town.
Geography
Climate
Haskovo has a temperate climate (Köppen: Cfa, Trewartha: Do), closely bordring on a continental climate, with an average yearly temperature of about 13 °C (55 °F). Winters are cold, albeit not as snowy as the western and northern parts of the country. Summers are hot, and late-summer is somewhat dry.
Climate data for Haskovo, Bulgaria | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 18.7 (65.7) |
22.4 (72.3) |
27.4 (81.3) |
32.8 (91.0) |
36.0 (96.8) |
38.4 (101.1) |
40.6 (105.1) |
41.8 (107.2) |
38.1 (100.6) |
35.0 (95.0) |
28.9 (84.0) |
20.0 (68.0) |
41.8 (107.2) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 4.6 (40.3) |
7.5 (45.5) |
11.9 (53.4) |
18.7 (65.7) |
23.8 (74.8) |
27.6 (81.7) |
30.5 (86.9) |
30.8 (87.4) |
26.7 (80.1) |
20.1 (68.2) |
13.0 (55.4) |
7.0 (44.6) |
18.5 (65.3) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 0.2 (32.4) |
2.6 (36.7) |
6.2 (43.2) |
12.3 (54.1) |
17.2 (63.0) |
21.0 (69.8) |
23.6 (74.5) |
23.4 (74.1) |
19.1 (66.4) |
13.4 (56.1) |
8.1 (46.6) |
3.0 (37.4) |
12.5 (54.5) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −3.7 (25.3) |
−1.6 (29.1) |
1.2 (34.2) |
6.0 (42.8) |
10.7 (51.3) |
14.2 (57.6) |
16.2 (61.2) |
15.8 (60.4) |
12.2 (54.0) |
7.8 (46.0) |
4.0 (39.2) |
−0.7 (30.7) |
6.8 (44.2) |
Record low °C (°F) | −25.5 (−13.9) |
−24.5 (−12.1) |
−16.8 (1.8) |
−6.0 (21.2) |
-0.0 (32.0) |
5.7 (42.3) |
9.7 (49.5) |
6.4 (43.5) |
1.1 (34.0) |
−5.9 (21.4) |
−14.5 (5.9) |
−19.4 (−2.9) |
−25.5 (−13.9) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 63 (2.5) |
47 (1.9) |
50 (2.0) |
57 (2.2) |
67 (2.6) |
69 (2.7) |
40 (1.6) |
37 (1.5) |
34 (1.3) |
61 (2.4) |
67 (2.6) |
75 (3.0) |
667 (26.3) |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 102 | 124 | 173 | 216 | 270 | 302 | 336 | 325 | 241 | 172 | 127 | 92 | 2,480 |
Source: [Stringmeteo.com] |
Etymology
The name of the town is derived from its earlier Ottoman-era name Hasköy, which is a hybrid Arabic-Turkish compound meaning "special village" (Turkish has "special" via Arabic خَاصّ + Turkish köy "village"). It was so named after it became the centre of an Ottoman administrative district in the region.[2] The ancient Thracian name of the settlement was Marsa (Greek: Μάρσα), by which it was known until as late as 1782. By 1830, it was known by its Turkish name, Hasköy.[3] The Bulgarian (and common Slavic) placename suffix "-ovo" replaced the Turkish "köy" after the city switched to Bulgarian from Ottoman rule.
History
According to archeologists, the area of Haskovo was originally settled about seven thousand years ago. In and around Haskovo, evidence has been preserved that confirms its long history during the
Ottoman era
The village and surrounding area became part of the
In 1592, the Ottoman
The town's importance increased in the 19th century. With its markets and fairs Hasköy became a significant centre of commerce in the
Modern era
Haskovo was part of Eastern Rumelia from 1878–1885, and was then incorporated into the autonomous Principality of Bulgaria, which declared full independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. It was renamed Haskovo after Bulgarian independence.[2]
After the liberation from Ottoman rule in 1878, the Haskovo region became popular for high-quality tobacco production. However, presently there is no cigarette production in the region anymore after the once big Tobacco company "Haskovo-BT" closed in 2005.[4] Currently, the biggest enterprises produce food, machinery, and textiles.
Population
The population of Haskovo was 14,191 in 1887.[5] Since then it started growing decade by decade, mostly because of the migrants from the rural areas and the surrounding smaller towns. It reached its peak in the period 1987–1991, when the population exceeded 90,000.[6]
In December 2017, Haskovo's population was 71,214 people within the city limits. The Haskovo Municipality, with the legally affiliated adjacent villages, had a population of 87,780.[7]
Haskovo | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | 1887 | 1910 | 1934 | 1946 | 1956 | 1965 | 1975 | 1985 | 1992 | 2001 | 2005 | 2009 | 2011 | 2021 | |
Population | 14,191 | 15,067 | 26,516 | 27,435 | 38,812 | 57,777 | 75,259 | 87,847 | 80,773 | 80,303 | 78,668 | 77,050 | 76,397 | 67,086 | |
Highest number 95,807 in 1990 | |||||||||||||||
Sources: National Statistical Institute,[6][8] citypopulation.de,[9] pop-stat.mashke.org,[10] Bulgarian Academy of Sciences[5] |
Ethnic and religious composition
According to the latest 2011 census data, the individuals declared their ethnic identity were distributed as follows:[11][12]
- Bulgarians: 54,869 (79.3%)
- Turks: 12,507 (18.1%)
- Roma: 691 (1.0%)
- Others: 400 (0.8%)
- Indefinable: 709 (0.7%)
- Undeclared: 7,221 (9.5%)
Total: 76,397
In Haskovo Municipality 63,963 declared as Bulgarians, 16,890 as Turks, 3859 as Roma and 8,984 did not declare their ethnic group. Most of the 28,444 Turks (12.5%) in Haskovo Province are concentrated within the city and the municipality, while the Bulgarians have a higher proportion in the province than the city, numbering 180,541 (79.4%).
According to the 2001 census, the Orthodox Christians are around 80% vs. around 20% Muslims.
Culture
The most notable cultural landmarks in Haskovo are the Ivan Dimov drama theater, renovated in 2004, the Museum of History, and an art gallery. The annual Colourful Thrace Sings and Dances folk festival takes place in the nearby park Kenana.
A
Haskovo has recently invested in renovating its town center, with a variety of new sculptures and fountains erected.
Municipal landmarks include the Thracian
Notable people
- Tane Nikolov (1873–1947), revolutionary
- Asen Zlatarov (1885–1936), scientist
- Anyu Angelov (1942), acting Minister of Defence
- footballerand football manager
- Wimbledon and US Openjunior champion
- Georgi Andreev (b. 1969), director of the National Folk Ensemble "Filip Kutev"
- Ciguli (1957–2014), Turkish-romani singer and musician
- Yuri Yunakov (b. 1958), Roma musician, known for participating in the development of Bulgarian wedding music and introducing it to the United States
- Asparuh Leshnikov – Ari (b. 1897–1978), musician
- Asen Vasilev (b. 1977) acting Minister of Finance
- Gabriela Stoeva (b. 1994) badminton player, three-time European Champion and European Games gold medalist as well
Places to visit
Monuments
- Monument to Captain Petko Voivoda
- Monument to the Unknown Warrior
- Monument to the Haskovo Revivalists
- Monument to the 10th Rhodope Infantry Regiment
- Monument of Envy
- Monument to the Haskovo Revivalists
- Monument to the Victory
- Monument to Dimitar Ivanov-Litso
Sacred architecture
- The monument "Holy Mother of God" entered the Guinness World Records as the world's tallest statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Infant. The monument was erected with respect, love and gratitude to the Mother of God. It was opened in 2003 with the consecration of water by Metropolitan Arseniy. In 2005 it was entered in the Guinness Book of World Records, and since 2009 it is in the list of the Hundred National Tourist Sites of Bulgaria.
- The bell tower - with impressive dimensions and unforgettable views rises above the town of Haskovo. The almost 29-meter-high bell tower was erected in 2010 next to the Holy Mother of God monument and quickly took its place in the resulting architectural ensemble.
- The Old Mosque (Eski Mosque) is the earliest mosque in the Bulgarian lands. It was built immediately after the invasion of the Ottoman Turks in Bulgaria, in the year 797 AH (1395 AD). In 1968 the Eski Mosque was declared a cultural monument. Currently, the mosque is significantly dug into the ground (probably due to the rising level of the surrounding streets).
- The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin in the village of Uzundzhovo, near Haskovo, is unique not only in its architecture, but also in the history it tells. Created as a Christian temple, it was destroyed by the Ottoman Empire and a mosque was built in its place. At the beginning of the 20th century, Turkey returned the property to Bulgaria and then began the reconstruction of the mosque into a church. In 2007 the church was restored mainly by the Municipality of Haskovo. During the restoration, two medieval inscriptions in Arabic with religious and philosophical themes were found, which have not yet been precisely dated. In the last century, the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village of Uzundzhovo was declared a cultural monument.
Twin towns – sister cities
Economy
The branch structure of the economy of Haskovo municipality is diverse and consists of Bulgarian and international companies of different sizes. These companies sell their products in both foreign and domestic markets.
The future development of the municipality is related to the full use of natural and climatic conditions in the field of agriculture - efforts to develop promising market-oriented agricultural production, creation of agricultural consulting centers and others. The historical features and the rich culture of the region, in combination with the well-developed transport and tourist infrastructure, are a favorable factor for the development of tourism. The partnership relations established by the municipality with cities from England, Austria, France, Greece, Turkey, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the US, Russia, Serbia, Belarus also have a valuable contribution in this respect.
Gallery
-
New office building
-
City centre
-
Building
-
Haskovo municipality hall
-
View from Virgin Mary monument
References
- ^ "Население по области, общини, местоживеене и пол | Национален статистически институт". nsi.bg. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
- ^ a b Sahin, İlhan. Hasköy (TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi). 1997.
- ^ Arrowsmith, John. Turkey in Europe Archived 11 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine. 1832.
- ^ HighBeam
- ^ a b (in Bulgarian) Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Archived 6 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b (in Bulgarian)National Statistical Institute - Towns population 1956-1992 [permanent dead link]
- ^ "Cities". Archived from the original on 13 November 2012.
- ^ "Statistics". Archived from the original on 13 November 2010.
- ^ "Bulgaria: Major Cities - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information". www.citypopulation.de. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012.
- ^ ""pop-stat.mashke.org"". Archived from the original on 16 October 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2011.
- ^ "Population by age". Archived from the original on 8 September 2013.
- ^ "Population by ethnos". Archived from the original on 22 April 2012.
- ^ "Побратимени градове". haskovo.bg (in Bulgarian). Haskovo. Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
External links
- Haskovo municipality website
- Online guide of Haskovo
- Haskovo.net
- Haskovo municipality at Domino.bg Archived 16 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- Haskovo.info
- Haskovo.biz
- Haskovlii.com
- Haskovo News Archived 11 February 2022 at the Wayback Machine
- Сайт за безплатни обяви
- Tourist Information Center - Haskovo