The Arda is a river whose source lies in the Bulgaria

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 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...

 near the town

Town

A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...

 of Smolyan

Smolyan

Smolyan is a town and ski resort in the very south of Bulgaria not far from the border with Greece. It is the administrative and industrial centre of the homonymous Smolyan Province...

, flowing 290 kilometres eastward past Kardzhali

Kardzhali

Kardzhali or Kurdzhali is a town in Bulgaria, capital of Kardzhali Province in the Eastern Rhodopes. Near the town is the noted Kardzhali Dam.-Geography:...

 and Ivaylovgrad

Ivaylovgrad

Ivaylovgrad is a town in Haskovo Province in the very south-east of Bulgaria set near the river Arda in the easternmost part of the Rhodope Mountains. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Ivaylovgrad Municipality...

 and through Greece

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

 in the northern portion of the Evros prefecture

Evros Prefecture

Evros is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of East Macedonia and Thrace. Its name is derived from the river Evros, which appears to have been a Thracian hydronym. Evros is the northernmost regional unit. It borders Turkey to the east, across the river Evros, and it...

 including Kastanies

Kastanies

Kastanies , older form Kastania, is a town located in northern part of the peripheral unit of Evros, Greece, and is part of the municipal unit of Vyssa. It is situated by the Evros River which forms the border with Turkey.-Geography:...

. It then enters the Maritsa

Maritsa

The Maritsa or Evros , ) is, with a length of 480 km, the longest river that runs solely in the interior of the Balkans. It has its origin in the Rila Mountains in Western Bulgaria, flowing southeast between the Balkan and Rhodope Mountains, past Plovdiv and Parvomay to Edirne, Turkey...

  just west of Edirne

Edirne

Edirne is a city in Eastern Thrace, the northwestern part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, before Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne...

, Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

. The portion in Bulgaria is accented by three hydroelectric and irrigation

Irrigation

Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...

 dam

Dam

A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...

s, Kardzhali Dam

Kardzhali Dam

The Kardzhali Reservoir is located near Kardzhali town in Kardzhali Province, Bulgaria.The reservoir was recently seeded artificially with European perch. The fish was taken from the Ovcharitsa reservoir....

, Studen Kladenets

Studen Kladenets

The Studen Kladenets Reservoir is the second largest reservoir in Bulgaria. It is situated on the river Arda, and is created behind the Studen Kladenets dam, 30 km south-east of the town of Kardzhali...

 and Ivaylovgrad Dam

Ivaylovgrad Dam

The Ivaylovgrad Dam is located in the eastern Rhodope Mountains and is situated on the Arda river, Southern Bulgaria. There are another two large dams of the Arda upstream - Kardzhali Dam and Studen Kladenets Dam to the west of Ivaylovgrad Dam.The reservoir has a total volume of and a drainage...

, and is 241 km long, making the Arda the longest river in the Rhodopes. The medieval Dyavolski most

Dyavolski most (bridge)

The Dyavolski most is an arch bridge over the Arda River situated in a narrow gorge. It is located 10 km from the Bulgarian town of Ardino in the Rhodope Mountains and is part of the ancient road connecting the lowlands of Thrace with the north Aegean Sea coast.It is not certain when the...

 arch bridge crosses the river 10 km from Ardino

Ardino

Ardino is a town in Southern Bulgaria, in the Rhodope Mountains. It is located in Kurdzhali oblast and is close to the town of Madan.It is famous for its textile industry. It has a machine-building factory and a tobacco manufacturing industry. Tourist attractions include the Eagle rocks and the...

.

The three floods of February 18, 2005, when the water level was at 4.8 m, March 1 and March 7, 2005 flooded the low lying areas, especially in the Kastanies

Kastanies

Kastanies , older form Kastania, is a town located in northern part of the peripheral unit of Evros, Greece, and is part of the municipal unit of Vyssa. It is situated by the Evros River which forms the border with Turkey.-Geography:...

 area which turned the area into a lagoon. The merging of the waters of the Maritsa

Maritsa

The Maritsa or Evros , ) is, with a length of 480 km, the longest river that runs solely in the interior of the Balkans. It has its origin in the Rila Mountains in Western Bulgaria, flowing southeast between the Balkan and Rhodope Mountains, past Plovdiv and Parvomay to Edirne, Turkey...

 (Evros/Meriç) caused streets and buildings including homes to be flooded and people to be stranded in their homes.

Arda Peak

Arda Peak

Arda Peak is located in the east of Livingston Island, Antarctica. The peak rises to approximately 470 m and is located in the Friesland Ridge, Tangra Mountains, overlooking the lower course of Charity Glacier to the northwest and Tarnovo Ice Piedmont to the southeast...

 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 Arda River.