Blagoevgrad
Encyclopedia
Blagoevgrad is а city in southwestern Bulgaria
, the administrative centre of Blagoevgrad Province
, with a population of about 74,302 . It lies on the banks of the Blagoevgradska Bistritsa River.
The city is the economic and cultural centre of southwestern Bulgaria. It is located in the valley of the Struma River
at the foot of the Rila
and Pirin
Mountains, 101 km south of Sofia
, close to the Greek
, Serbia
n and Republic of Macedonia
borders. Blagoevgrad features a pedestrian downtown with preserved 19th century architecture and numerous restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, and boutiques.
Blagoevgrad is home to two universities, the South-West University "Neofit Rilski" and the American University in Bulgaria
. The city hosts also the "Sts. Cyril and Methodius National Humanitarian High School", the former Bulgarian Men's High School of Thessaloniki
moved from Thessaloniki to Blagoevgrad (then Gorna Dzhumaya) in 1913.
Attractions in the surrounding area include the resort Bodrost
.
. Mountain breeze descends from Rila along the river Bistritsa bringing cool air during hot summer days. Wind is moderate - 1.6 meters per second. Thanks to the many mountain forests around the town and the lack of industrial pollution, the air is clean in Blagoevgrad. Winter is mild, brief and marked by little to no snowfall. The average temperature in January is 0,6 °C. Summers are long and dry, with a small amount of rainfall. The average July temperature is 23,4 °C and the maximum temperature measured in Blagoevgrad is 39,9 °C. The average annual temperature is approximately 12,6 °C.
An ancient Thracian
settlement called Scaptopara (Σκαπτοπαρα in Greek
) emerged on the site around 300 BC and was later conquered by the Roman Empire
. The settlement was known for the hot springs
in the vicinity.
Although the history of the settlement in the Middle Ages
is unknown, during the Ottoman
rule of the Balkans it became a Muslim
-majority town called Cuma-ı Bala, meaning Upper Juma in Persian
and Ottoman Turkish
. A Bulgarian quarter called Varosha was formed during the Bulgarian National Revival
, with many of its typical houses and the Church of the Presentation of the Mother of God from 1844 being preserved to this day. A chitalishte
was founded in 1866 and the Balkan Wars
of 1912-1913 saw the liberation of the area from Ottoman rule and its integration in the Bulgarian state. Before the Balkan Wars, Cuma-ı Bala was bounded as kaza
to Serez
sandjak in Selanik
vilayet.
Many refugees from Aegean
and Vardar Macedonia
arrived in the town in the subsequent decades as the town, then known as Gorna Dzhumaya (a partial translation of the Ottoman name), continued to grow in size and importance. The name Gorna Dzhumaya ( Горна Джумая; "Upper Dzhumaya") contrasts the town from Dolna Dzhumaya (Долна Джумая; "Lower Dzhumaya", "Cuma-i Zir" in Turkish) to the south, today called Irakleia
in Serres Prefecture
, Macedonia
, Greece
.
The town was renamed Blagoevgrad in 1950 after the founder of the Bulgarian Communist Party
, Dimitar Blagoev
, a refugee from Aegean Macedonia
.
Blagoevgrad is known for being the birthplace of Dimitar Berbatov
, a current Manchester United Player. The town's football traditions are very respectable, as the local PFC Pirin Blagoevgrad (1922) and more recently PFC Pirin Blagoevgrad (1931) (the old Makedonska Slava from Simitli
), have both played in the A PFG and had players such as Berbatov, Petar Mihtarski
, Ivaylo Andonov
, Petar Zlatinov
, etc.
Skaptopara Cove
in Greenwich Island in the South Shetland Islands
, Antarctica is named for the ancient ancestor of Blagoevgrad.
Currently the city has 5 hypermarkets: Metro
, Technopolis
, Technomarket Europe, Mr. Bricolage
, and Kaufland
,.
The crisis in basketball and handball provides others with the opportunity to pick up pace. Taekwon-Do, in the face of "Falcon" club has given Blagoevgrad and Bulgaria multiple European and World Championship medals, including a European Championship in 2004 (Todor Kozladerov). Baseball is a little-known sport in Bulgaria but it thrives in Blagoevgrad. The local team's name is the "Buffaloes" and its manager is Yassen Nedelchev, who also serves as the Bulgarian Baseball Federation's president. In 2010, the "Blagoevgrad Buffaloes" won their 17th National title (in 18 attempts).
The town has two multi-purpose sports halls, the second was opened in 2007, it has a capacity of over 1000 seats and meets all requirements of the International Federation of handball, basketball and volleyball, a game area may be used for competitions Rhythmic gymnastics and martial arts. The town has three well-maintained complex for tennis, a football stadium, six small playgrounds for football, Olympic size swimming pool, go-cart track and one of the best games of baseball on the Balkans. In 2008 began the construction of new sports complex at the Southwestern University for the needs of its students.
At present there are four in Blagoevgrad acting male clubs, three of which bear the name "Pirin". The "A" group hang PFC Pirin Blagoevgrad. Pirin authentic, then discard it in "B" group in 2005 due to obligations to Social Security, was usurped by a group of businessmen D15, and then failed to return to professional football during the 2008/09 season and will play in the Western B Group . Pirin 2001 - the team owned by former international Ivaylo Andonov, competed in the Southwestern 'B' group. In the championship of the Blagoevgrad District League (zone "Bistrita") features one Blagoevgrad football team - FC Athletic.
Women's football is represented by the football club Sportika - a participant in the National Championship for Women
with:http://www.namrb.org/filesystem.php?id=12.xls Auburn
, United States
Delčevo
, Republic of Macedonia
Skopje
, Republic of Macedonia Serres
, Greece
Székesfehérvár
, Hungary
Thessaloniki
, Greece
Nagasaki, Japan
Batumi
, Georgia
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...
, the administrative centre of Blagoevgrad Province
Blagoevgrad Province
Blagoevgrad Province , also known as Pirin Macedonia , is a province of southwestern Bulgaria. It borders four other Bulgarian provinces to the north and east, Greece to the south, and the Republic of Macedonia to the west. The province has 14 municipalities with 12 towns...
, with a population of about 74,302 . It lies on the banks of the Blagoevgradska Bistritsa River.
The city is the economic and cultural centre of southwestern Bulgaria. It is located in the valley of the Struma River
Struma River
The Struma or Strymónas is a river in Bulgaria and Greece. Its ancient name was Strymōn . Its catchment area is 10,800 km²...
at the foot of the Rila
Rila
Rila is a mountain range in southwestern Bulgaria and the highest mountain range of Bulgaria and the Balkans, with its highest peak being Musala at 2,925 m...
and Pirin
Pirin
The Pirin Mountains are a mountain range in southwestern Bulgaria, with Vihren the highest peak, situated at . The range extends about 40 km northwest-southeast, and about 25 km wide. Most of the range is protected in the Pirin National Park...
Mountains, 101 km south of Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, close to the Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n and Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
borders. Blagoevgrad features a pedestrian downtown with preserved 19th century architecture and numerous restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, and boutiques.
Blagoevgrad is home to two universities, the South-West University "Neofit Rilski" and the American University in Bulgaria
American University in Bulgaria
American University in Bulgaria is a private, selective, residential liberal arts university located in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. Courses are taught in English by high-quality faculty coming from four continents, experienced in teaching in a multicultural, learner-centered environment...
. The city hosts also the "Sts. Cyril and Methodius National Humanitarian High School", the former Bulgarian Men's High School of Thessaloniki
Bulgarian Men's High School of Thessaloniki
The Sts. Cyril and Methodius Bulgarian Men's High School of Thessaloniki was the first Bulgarian high school in Macedonia. One of the most influential Bulgarian educational centres in Macedonia and Southern Thrace, it was founded in autumn 1880 in Ottoman Thessaloniki and existed until...
moved from Thessaloniki to Blagoevgrad (then Gorna Dzhumaya) in 1913.
Attractions in the surrounding area include the resort Bodrost
Bodrost
Bodrost is a tourism and ski resort near Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. Bodrost is located in the valley of the Blagoevgradska Bistritsa, 30 km east from Blagoevgrad at around 1250m above sea level. It is an entry point to the Rila National Park.-External links:...
.
Climate
The climate is transitional continental with a strong Mediterranean influence, due to air masses that enter from the south valley of the river Struma. The city is protected from cold northerly winds due to the natural barrier of the high hills of Rila massif and the village of Belo poleBelo pole
Belo Pole is a small village in southwestern Bulgaria. Administratively it is included in Blagoevgrad Municipality, Blagoevgrad Province.-Geography:...
. Mountain breeze descends from Rila along the river Bistritsa bringing cool air during hot summer days. Wind is moderate - 1.6 meters per second. Thanks to the many mountain forests around the town and the lack of industrial pollution, the air is clean in Blagoevgrad. Winter is mild, brief and marked by little to no snowfall. The average temperature in January is 0,6 °C. Summers are long and dry, with a small amount of rainfall. The average July temperature is 23,4 °C and the maximum temperature measured in Blagoevgrad is 39,9 °C. The average annual temperature is approximately 12,6 °C.
History
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...
settlement called Scaptopara (Σκαπτοπαρα in Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
) emerged on the site around 300 BC and was later conquered by the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. The settlement was known for the hot springs
Hot Springs
Hot Springs may refer to:* Hot Springs, Arkansas** Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas*Hot Springs, California**Hot Springs, Lassen County, California**Hot Springs, Modoc County, California**Hot Springs, Placer County, California...
in the vicinity.
Although the history of the settlement in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
is unknown, during the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
rule of the Balkans it became a Muslim
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
-majority town called Cuma-ı Bala, meaning Upper Juma in Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and Ottoman Turkish
Ottoman Turkish language
The Ottoman Turkish language or Ottoman language is the variety of the Turkish language that was used for administrative and literary purposes in the Ottoman Empire. It borrows extensively from Arabic and Persian, and was written in a variant of the Perso-Arabic script...
. A Bulgarian quarter called Varosha was formed during the Bulgarian National Revival
Bulgarian National Revival
The Bulgarian National Revival , sometimes called the Bulgarian Renaissance, was a period of socio-economic development and national integration among Bulgarian people under Ottoman rule...
, with many of its typical houses and the Church of the Presentation of the Mother of God from 1844 being preserved to this day. A 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....
was founded in 1866 and the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
of 1912-1913 saw the liberation of the area from Ottoman rule and its integration in the Bulgarian state. Before the Balkan Wars, Cuma-ı Bala was bounded as kaza
Township
The word township is used to refer to different kinds of settlements in different countries. Township is generally associated with an urban area. However there are many exceptions to this rule. In Australia, the United States, and Canada, they may be settlements too small to be considered urban...
to Serez
Serres, Greece
Sérres is a city in Macedonia, Greece. It is situated in a fertile plain at an elevation of about 70 m, some 24 km northeast of the Strymon river and 69 km north-east of the Macedonian capital, Thessaloniki. The Rhodope Mountains rise to the north and east of the city...
sandjak in Selanik
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
vilayet.
Aegean Macedonia
Aegean Macedonia is a term that refers to the Greek region of Macedonia. It is currently mainly used in the Republic of Macedonia, including in the irredentist context of a United Macedonia. The term is also used in Bulgaria as the more common synonym for Greek Macedonia, without the connotations...
and Vardar Macedonia
Vardar Macedonia
Vardar Macedonia is an area in the north of the Macedonia . The borders of the area are those of the Republic of Macedonia. It covers an area of...
arrived in the town in the subsequent decades as the town, then known as Gorna Dzhumaya (a partial translation of the Ottoman name), continued to grow in size and importance. The name Gorna Dzhumaya ( Горна Джумая; "Upper Dzhumaya") contrasts the town from Dolna Dzhumaya (Долна Джумая; "Lower Dzhumaya", "Cuma-i Zir" in Turkish) to the south, today called Irakleia
Irakleia, Serres
Irakleia is a municipality in the Serres regional unit, Central Macedonia, Greece. Population 13,173 . The seat of the municipality is the town of Irakleia, which was formerly known as "Lower Jumaya" .-Municipality:...
in Serres Prefecture
Serres Prefecture
Serres is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the Region of Central Macedonia. Its capital is the town of Serres. The total population reaches just over 200,000.-Geography:...
, Macedonia
Macedonia (Greece)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
The town was renamed Blagoevgrad in 1950 after the founder of the Bulgarian Communist Party
Bulgarian Communist Party
The Bulgarian Communist Party was the communist and Marxist-Leninist ruling party of the People's Republic of Bulgaria from 1946 until 1990 when the country ceased to be a communist state...
, Dimitar Blagoev
Dimitar Blagoev
Dimitar Blagoev Nikolov ; was a Bulgarian political leader, the founder of Bulgarian socialism and of the first social democratic party in the Balkans.-Biography:...
, a refugee from Aegean Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...
.
Blagoevgrad is known for being the birthplace of Dimitar Berbatov
Dimitar Berbatov
Dimitar Ivanov Berbatov is a Bulgarian footballer who plays as a forward for Manchester United. He captained the Bulgarian national team from 2006 to 2010, and is its all-time leading goalscorer and has also won the Bulgarian Footballer of the Year a record seven times, surpassing the number of...
, a current Manchester United Player. The town's football traditions are very respectable, as the local PFC Pirin Blagoevgrad (1922) and more recently PFC Pirin Blagoevgrad (1931) (the old Makedonska Slava from Simitli
Simitli
Simitli is a small city in Blagoevgrad Province in southwestern Bulgaria. It has a population of 7,454 and is located 17 km south of Blagoevgrad.-Geography:...
), have both played in the A PFG and had players such as Berbatov, Petar Mihtarski
Petar Mihtarski
Petar Sotirov Mihtarski is a retired Bulgarian footballer who played as a striker.-Club career:Born in Blagoevgrad, Mihtarski spent the first 13 years of his career with local FC Pirin, making his first-team - and first division - debuts in 1982–83, appearing in eight games and scoring four goals...
, Ivaylo Andonov
Ivaylo Andonov
Ivaylo Viktorov Andonov is a former Bulgarian footballer, who played as a striker.-Football career:After beginning professionally with hometown's PFC Pirin Blagoevgrad, Andonov made a name for himself at CSKA Sofia, constantly being one of the first division topscorers, while also being...
, Petar Zlatinov
Petar Zlatinov
Petar Zlatinov is a Bulgarian footballer, currently playing for Inter Baku as a midfielder.He is left attacking midfielder. Petar started his career in his home town Blagoevgrad, playing for Pirin. Just 18 years old, Zlatinov signed with CSKA Sofia. Between 2003 and 2005 he played for the...
, etc.
Skaptopara Cove
Skaptopara Cove
Skaptopara Cove is a 2 km wide cove indenting for 900 m the north coast of Skaptopara Cove is a 2 km wide cove indenting for 900 m the north coast of...
in Greenwich 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 for the ancient ancestor of Blagoevgrad.
Economy
Because of the large number of students (partly due to the American University in the city), its cross-road location, nature and number of social factors, the city has relatively well developed economy. There are many clothing stores, cafes, and restaurants. Large numbers of unskilled labor is employed in construction companies and clothing shops.Building
The town is very attractive to investors, both foreign and native; coincidence Blagoevgrad is the third largest by number of building permits. Blagoevgrad has a real opportunity to grow towards neighborhoods "Elenovo and Strumsko and most likely will" swallow up "in nearby villages as soon as possible. A few years ago was made a major overhaul of the city park and also a new bridge was built. Is now ready and the new building, which became sergiyniya market in modern shopping center.Currently the city has 5 hypermarkets: Metro
Metro Cash and Carry
-Romania:METRO Cash and Carry was one of the first international food and non-food retail chains to enter the Romanian market, opening its first store in 1996 in Bucharest, near Henri Coandă International Airport....
, Technopolis
Technopolis
Technopolis can refer to:*Technopolis or Technology Park are synonyms for science park.*Technopolis Innovation Park Delft, a science park in Delft, the Netherlands....
, Technomarket Europe, Mr. Bricolage
Mr. Bricolage
Mr. Bricolage is a French retail chain offering home improvement and do-it-yourself goods. The chain operates over 500 stores in these countries: France Serbia Bulgaria Romania Spain Andorra Belgium Argentina Uruguay Morocco Madagascar Mauritius...
, and Kaufland
Kaufland
Kaufland is a German hypermarket chain part of the same group as Lidl and Handelshof. It opened its first store in 1984 in Neckarsulm and quickly expanded to become a leader in what was formerly East Germany...
,.
Sports
Generally, sports are well developed, but the town's traditionally strong sports, handball and basketball, have been in financial crisis and without representation in the national leagues in years past (only supporting children and youth ensembles).The crisis in basketball and handball provides others with the opportunity to pick up pace. Taekwon-Do, in the face of "Falcon" club has given Blagoevgrad and Bulgaria multiple European and World Championship medals, including a European Championship in 2004 (Todor Kozladerov). Baseball is a little-known sport in Bulgaria but it thrives in Blagoevgrad. The local team's name is the "Buffaloes" and its manager is Yassen Nedelchev, who also serves as the Bulgarian Baseball Federation's president. In 2010, the "Blagoevgrad Buffaloes" won their 17th National title (in 18 attempts).
The town has two multi-purpose sports halls, the second was opened in 2007, it has a capacity of over 1000 seats and meets all requirements of the International Federation of handball, basketball and volleyball, a game area may be used for competitions Rhythmic gymnastics and martial arts. The town has three well-maintained complex for tennis, a football stadium, six small playgrounds for football, Olympic size swimming pool, go-cart track and one of the best games of baseball on the Balkans. In 2008 began the construction of new sports complex at the Southwestern University for the needs of its students.
Football
Blagoevgrad is a football town, a notorious school children and adolescents of Pirin, gave the Bulgarian and world football talents as Dimitar Berbatov and regularly feed the wealthy football clubs. Only the lack of serious investment club to prevent similar to public school and is among the leaders in the league.At present there are four in Blagoevgrad acting male clubs, three of which bear the name "Pirin". The "A" group hang PFC Pirin Blagoevgrad. Pirin authentic, then discard it in "B" group in 2005 due to obligations to Social Security, was usurped by a group of businessmen D15, and then failed to return to professional football during the 2008/09 season and will play in the Western B Group . Pirin 2001 - the team owned by former international Ivaylo Andonov, competed in the Southwestern 'B' group. In the championship of the Blagoevgrad District League (zone "Bistrita") features one Blagoevgrad football team - FC Athletic.
Women's football is represented by the football club Sportika - a participant in the National Championship for Women
Twin cities
Blagoevgrad is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:http://www.namrb.org/filesystem.php?id=12.xls Auburn
Auburn, Alabama
Auburn is a city in Lee County, Alabama, United States. It is the largest city in eastern Alabama with a 2010 population of 53,380. It is a principal city of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Delčevo
Delcevo
Delčevo is a small town in the eastern mountainous part of the Republic of Macedonia. It is the municipal seat of the eponymous municipality. The town is named after revolutionary Goce Delčev.-Demographics:Delčevo has 11,500 residents....
, Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
, Republic of Macedonia Serres
Serres
Serres is a city in Greece, seat of the Serres prefecture.Serres may also refer to:Places:* Serres, Germany, a part of Wiernsheim in Baden-WürttembergIn France:* Serres, Aude in the Aude département...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
Székesfehérvár
Székesfehérvár
Székesfehérvár is a city in central Hungary and is the 9th largest in the country. Located around southwest of Budapest. It is inhabited by 101,973 people , with 136,995 in the Székesfehérvár Subregion. The city is the centre of Fejér county and the regional centre of Central Transdanubia...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
Nagasaki, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
Batumi
Batumi
Batumi is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast and capital of Adjara, an autonomous republic in southwest Georgia. Sometimes considered Georgia's second capital, with a population of 121,806 , Batumi serves as an important port and a commercial center. It is situated in a subtropical zone, rich in...
, Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...