Peshtera

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Peshtera Пещера
Peshtera court hall
Coat of arms
Peshtera Location of Peshtera
Coordinates: 42°2′N 24°18′E / 42.033°N 24.3°E / 42.033; 24.3Coordinates: 42°2′N 24°18′E / 42.033°N 24.3°E / 42.033; 24.3
Country	Bulgaria
Province (Oblast)	Pazardzhik
Government
• Mayor	Stelian Varsanov
Elevation	450 m (1,480 ft)
Population (31.12.2009)[1]
• Total	20,753
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal Code	4550
Area code(s)	0350

Peshtera (Bulgarian: Пещера, pronounced [ˈpeʃtera]) is a town in southwestern Bulgaria, part of Pazardzhik Province, located in the Upper Thracian Lowlands at the foot of the Western Rhodopes. It takes its name from the many caves (peshtera is the Bulgarian word for 'cave') found in the vicinity. The town is the administrative centre of the homonymous Peshtera Municipality. As of December 2009, it has a population of 20,753 inhabitants.^[1]

At a distance of around 5 km from the town of Peshtera (along the road to Batak) is one of the most popular caves in Bulgaria — Snezhanka. Nearby is the Peshtera HEP plant.

The town is also well-known for producing the alcohol beverage Mastika. The product is named after the town (Peshterska).

Geography

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Population

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History

The first traces of human presence in the area date from the Neolithic. The Thracian tribe of the Bessi inhabited the area in Antiquity and the settlement in the Peshtera Valley emerged in the fourth century BC.

The earliest piece of writing documenting the town's name dates from 1479, when Peshtera was part of the fief of a certain Mustafa in the Ottoman Empire. During the Bulgarian National Revival, many churches, bridges, fountains, schools and houses were built. The first secular school in Peshtera was opened in 1848, while the Nadezhda ('hope') community centre emerged in 1873. Many local residents took part in the armed struggle for the Liberation of Bulgaria, the town itself being liberated during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78, more precisely on 6 January 1878.

In 1876, the town had 800 households, of which 500 Bulgarian, 60 Aromanian and about 250 Turkish and Roma. The first official Bulgarian census in 1880 stated 758 households and 3,871 inhabitants, of which 2,618 Bulgarians, 856 Turks, 341 Greeks (most actually Aromanians), 53 Roma and a single Karakachan. Five years later, in 1885, Peshtera had a population of 4,704 and 876 households.

Economy

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Gallery

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  Peshtera court hall

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  Peshtera Old River bridge and Old mosque

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  Peshtera downtown

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  Peshtera Culture club Chitalishte "Development"

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  Peshtera central square

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  Peshtera town hall

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  Saint Petka church and History museum of Peshtera

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  17th century old clock tower and new mosque

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  Town-scape from the Clock-tower

Honour

Peshtera Glacier on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after Peshtera.

References

	Kostenets	Pazardzhik	Plovdiv
	Velingrad		Asenovgrad
		Peshtera
	Gotse Delchev	Smolyan	Kardjali

v t e Cities and towns of Bulgaria 1,000,000+ Sofia (capital) 300,000+ Plovdiv Varna 100,000+ Burgas Pleven Ruse Stara Zagora 50,000+ Asenovgrad Blagoevgrad Dobrich Gabrovo Haskovo Pazardzhik Pernik Sliven Shumen Veliko Tarnovo Vratsa Yambol 20,000+ Aytos Botevgrad Dimitrovgrad Dupnitsa Gorna Oryahovitsa Karlovo Kardzhali Kazanlak Kyustendil Lom Lovech Montana Nova Zagora Petrich Razgrad Samokov Sandanski Sevlievo Silistra Smolyan Svishtov Targovishte Troyan Velingrad Vidin 10,000+ Balchik Bankya Berkovitsa Byala, Rousse Province Byala Slatina Cherven Bryag Chirpan Elhovo Etropole Gotse Delchev Harmanli Ihtiman Isperih Karnobat Kavarna Knezha Kostinbrod Kozloduy Kubrat Levski Mezdra Momchilgrad Nesebar Novi Iskar Novi Pazar Panagyurishte Parvomay Pavlikeni Peshtera Pomorie Popovo Provadiya Radnevo Radomir Rakovski Razlog Stamboliyski Svilengrad Teteven 5,000+ Aksakovo Ardino Bansko Belene Belogradchik Beloslav Bobov Dol Chepelare Dalgopol Devin Devnya Dolni Chiflik Dragoman Dryanovo Dulovo Dzhebel Elena Elin Pelin Galabovo General Toshevo Hisarya Kameno Koynare Kostenets Kotel Krichim Krumovgrad Kuklen Lukovit Lyubimets Lyaskovets Madan Nedelino Omurtag Oryahovo Perushtitsa Pirdop Polski Trumbesh Rakitovo Saedinenie Septemvri Simeonovgrad Simitli Slivnitsa Sopot Sredets Straldzha Strazhitsa Suvorovo Svoge Tervel Topolovgrad Tryavna Tsarevo Tutrakan Tvarditsa Varshets Vetovo Veliki Preslav Yakoruda Zlatitsa Zlatograd Under 5,000 Ahtopol Alfatar Antonovo Apriltsi Balgarovo Batak Batanovtsi Belitsa Belovo Boboshevo Bolyarovo Borovo Boychinovtsi Bozhurishte Bratsigovo Bregovo Breznik Brusartsi Byala, Varna Province Byala Cherkva Chiprovtsi Debelets Dimovo Dobrinishte Dolna Banya Dolna Mitropoliya Dolna Oryahovitsa Dolni Dubnik Dospat Dunavtsi Dve Mogili Glavinitsa Glodzhevo Godech Gramada Gulyantsi Gurkovo Hadzhidimovo Iskar Ivaylovgrad Kableshkovo Kalofer Kaolinovo Kaspichan Kermen Kilifarevo Kiten Klisura Kocherinovo Koprivshtitsa Kostandovo Kresna Krivodol Kula Laki Letnitsa Loznitsa Madzharovo Maglizh Malko Turnovo Marten Melnik Merichleri Miziya Momin Prohod Nikolaevo Nikopol Obzor Opaka Pavel Banya Plachkovtsi Pliska Pordim Pravets Primorsko Rila Roman Rudozem Sadovo Sapareva Banya Sarnitsa Senovo Shabla Shipka Shivachevo Slavyanovo Slivo Pole Smyadovo Sozopol Strelcha Suhindol Sungurlare Sveti Vlas Tran Trastenik Tsar Kaloyan Ugarchin Vetren Valchedram Valchi Dol Varbitsa Yablanitsa Zavet Zemen Zlataritsa

v t e Municipality of Peshtera Capital: Peshtera Villages Kapitan Dimitrievo, Radilovo Landmarks Snezhanka cave Culture Notable people Georgi Kyoseivanov