Chirpan

Chirpan
Chirpan Location of Chirpan
Coordinates: 42°11′59.31″N 25°19′27.87″E / 42.1998083°N 25.3244083°E / 42.1998083; 25.3244083Coordinates: 42°11′59.31″N 25°19′27.87″E / 42.1998083°N 25.3244083°E / 42.1998083; 25.3244083
Country	Bulgaria
Province (Oblast)	Stara Zagora
Government
- Mayor	Vasil Donev
Elevation	168 m (551 ft)
Population (31.12.2009)[1]
- Total	16,355
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
- Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal Code	6200
Area code(s)	0416

Chirpan (Bulgarian: Чирпан) is a town on the Tekirska River in Stara Zagora Province, South-central Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Chirpan Municipality. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 16,355 inhabitants.^[1]

Chirpan is located north of the Maritsa River on the Chirpan highlands, south-east of the Sredna Gora mountains. The town is a centre for wineries and viticulture.

History

The modern town is the successor of the Ancient Roman settlement of Sherampol and re-emerged in the beginning of the 15th century, its current name likely being derived from the Roman one. There has been extensive archaeological excavation at the Karasura (Carasura) site. During the Ottoman rule of Bulgaria, Chirpan (Turkish: Çırpan) was known for its craftsmen and agriculture. The town suffered badly from an earthquake on 18 April 1928.

Chirpan was the birthplace of Ottoman Turkish soldier Abdülkerim Nadir Pasha, and the Bulgarian poet Peyo Yavorov, whose native house is now a museum. Chirpan was the home of painter George Danchov. His house in the centre of the town is an excellent example of Bulgarian National Revival architecture.

Economy

There are 23,470 (2009)^[2] people in the municipality, two thirds of whom live in the town. 53% of the land is in cultivation, with major crops from wheat, sunflowers, cotton, grapes, and fruit trees. There is a 136 hectare Natura 2000 Special Protection Area for preservation of avian habitat along the Tekirska River.^[3]

Honour

Chirpan Peak on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after Chirpan.

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} (English) Bulgarian National Statistical Institute - Bulgarian towns in 2009
2. ^ (English) Bulgarian National Statistical Institute - Bulgarian provinces and municipalities in 2009
3. ^ Natura 2000 Bulgaria Database: Текирска река

References

• Diamante, Vincenzo (1975) Bulgaria: storia, vita, folclore e tutte le informazioni utili al turista Valmartina, Firenze, OCLC 3841667 (in Italian);
• Kondarev, Nikola (1987) Istoriia na Chirpan i Chirpansko Izd-vo na Otechestveniia front, Sofia, OCLC 19857260 (in Bulgarian);

This article is based in part on material from the Bulgarian Wikipedia.

External links

• "Visit to Bulgaria: Places by Region: Stara Zagora: Chirpan" Bulgaria Info Site
• "Chirpan: History and Landmarks" Virtual Bulgaria
• Археологическо дружество Чирпан (Archaeological Society of Chirpan) in Bulgarian