Banya, Pazardzhik Province
Encyclopedia
Banya is a village
in the Panagyurishte municipality
, Bulgaria
. As of 2007 it has 856 inhabitants. The village is famous throughout the region with its mineral baths
and its spa resort. The ruins of an ancient fortress are located 3 km to the south.
mountain, in the Bata-Banya valley. The river Banska Luda Yana
runs through the village and flows into the Panagyurska Luda Yana downstream. The closest settlements are the town of Panagyurishte, which is the centre of the municipality at 11 km and the village of Bata
at 5 km. Bukova Mogila Peak (974 m) is located to the south-west.
The village has rich history. It was inhabited since the time of the Thracians
. A tomb of a Thracian ruler has been discovered and the artifacts can be seen in the Village Hall. Banya was the birth place of one of the most charismatic figures in the April Uprising
, the priest Gruyo Banski and his followers Atanas Kaloyanov and Stoyan Karoleev.
There are chitalishte
, library, kindergarten and school. Banya has excellent conditions for recreation with its mineral springs, outdoor and indoor pools, hotel, restaurants and pub. The population is Christian Orthodox
, there are two churches and a small chapel with beautiful frescoes.
fortress. It was used as a refuge by the local population during the Ottoman rule. The surroundings of the village are dominated by old oak
and beech
forests and hundreds of decares orchards, mainly sour cherry
and plum
.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the Panagyurishte municipality
Panagyurishte municipality
Panagyurishte Municipality is located in the Pazardzhik Province, western Bulgaria. It is one of the 11 municipalities in the province. Its territory is 598,5 km² being fourth in the province after the municipalities of Velingrad, Batak and Pazardzhik. The relief is mountainous and semi-mountainous...
, 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...
. As of 2007 it has 856 inhabitants. The village is famous throughout the region with its mineral baths
Mineral spa
Mineral spas are resorts developed around naturally occurring mineral spring locales.- Origins :Spas grew in reputation in the nineteenth century on into the late middle-twentieth century for their purported healing or healthful benefits to those wealthy enough to partake of their waters...
and its spa resort. The ruins of an ancient fortress are located 3 km to the south.
Geography
The village of Banya is situated in a mountainous region. It lies in the Sredna GoraSredna Gora
Sredna Gora is a mountain range in central Bulgaria, situated south of and parallel to Balkan mountain range and extending from the river Iskar to the west and the elbow of Tundzha north of Yambol to the east. Sredna Gora is 285 km long, reaching 50 km at its greatest width...
mountain, in the Bata-Banya valley. The river Banska Luda Yana
Luda Yana
The Luda Yana is a 74 km-long river in southern Bulgaria, a northern tributary of the Maritsa River. It runs through the towns of Panagyurishte and Strelcha, as well as a number of villages, including Popintsi, where there are considerable driftage gold deposits. The river flows into the Maritsa...
runs through the village and flows into the Panagyurska Luda Yana downstream. The closest settlements are the town of Panagyurishte, which is the centre of the municipality at 11 km and the village of Bata
Bata, Pazardzhik Province
Bata is a village in the Panagyurishte municipality in western Bulgaria. It has 1 345 inhabitants.- Geography :Bata is located in a mountainous region. The village lies in the Sredna Gora mountain, in the Bata-Banya valley. The river Banska Luda Yana runs through the village and flows in the...
at 5 km. Bukova Mogila Peak (974 m) is located to the south-west.
The village has rich history. It was inhabited since the time of the Thracians
Thracians
The ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting areas including Thrace in Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...
. A tomb of a Thracian ruler has been discovered and the artifacts can be seen in the Village Hall. Banya was the birth place of one of the most charismatic figures in the April Uprising
April Uprising
The April Uprising was an insurrection organised by the Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire from April to May 1876, which indirectly resulted in the re-establishment of Bulgaria as an autonomous nation in 1878...
, the priest Gruyo Banski and his followers Atanas Kaloyanov and Stoyan Karoleev.
There are chitalishte
Chitalishte
A chitalishte is a typical Bulgarian public institution and building which fulfils several functions at once, such as a community centre, library and a theatre. It is also used as an educational institution, where people of all ages can enroll in foreign language, dance, music and other courses....
, library, kindergarten and school. Banya has excellent conditions for recreation with its mineral springs, outdoor and indoor pools, hotel, restaurants and pub. The population is Christian 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,...
, there are two churches and a small chapel with beautiful frescoes.
Culture and landmarks
A monument of Gruyo Banki has been erected in the centre of the village. His house is converted to a small museum. There is a path leading to the locality Kalato where there are remains of a RomanAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
fortress. It was used as a refuge by the local population during the Ottoman rule. The surroundings of the village are dominated by old oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
and beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
forests and hundreds of decares orchards, mainly sour cherry
Sour Cherry
Prunus cerasus, or the sour cherry, is a species of Prunus in the subgenus Cerasus , native to much of Europe and southwest Asia. It is closely related to the wild cherry Prunus cerasus, or the sour cherry, is a species of Prunus in the subgenus Cerasus (cherries), native to much of Europe and...
and plum
Plum
A plum or gage is a stone fruit tree in the genus Prunus, subgenus Prunus. The subgenus is distinguished from other subgenera in the shoots having a terminal bud and solitary side buds , the flowers in groups of one to five together on short stems, and the fruit having a groove running down one...
.