Davidkovo
Encyclopedia
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...
of southernmost 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...
, part of Banite
Banite
Banite is a village in the Central Rhodope Mountains of southernmost Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of Banite municipality, Smolyan Province. Banite is known for its mineral springs.The village lies at at 681 m above sea level...
municipality, Smolyan Province
Smolyan Province
-Religion:The Smolyan province along with the Kardzhali Province is a province where the predominant religion is not Orthodox Christianity but Islam. However, unlike Kardzhali where the majority of the population is Turkish, the Muslim population of the Smolyan province is made up almost entirely...
.
it has a population of 971 and the mayor is Velin Glushkov. Davidkovo lies at 41°40′N 24°58′E, at around 1000 m above sea level. The distance to Banite
Banite
Banite is a village in the Central Rhodope Mountains of southernmost Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of Banite municipality, Smolyan Province. Banite is known for its mineral springs.The village lies at at 681 m above sea level...
is 15 km, to 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...
— 66 km, and to the capital city 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...
— 177 km.
The village has a mixed population of Eastern Orthodox and Muslim Bulgarians
Pomaks
Pomaks is a term used for a Slavic Muslim population native to some parts of Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo. The Pomaks speak Bulgarian as their native language, also referred to in Greece and Turkey as Pomak language, and some are fluent in Turkish,...
. A landmark in the vicinity is Svoboda Peak 13 km to the north, which is an ancient sacred site today worshipped by the Muslim
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
population as the final resting place of the legendary hero Enihan Baba.
Davidkovo has a Bulgarian Orthodox church — the Church of Saint Elijah the Prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
, which is a cultural monument of local importance, and a mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
.
Davidkovo is the crosspoint of different cultural influences. An ancient custom named Davidkovska Poprelka is continuing to this day and the local Rhodopean folk dress is regarded as particularly colourful and beautiful. Davidkovo, as part of the Rhodopes, is also known for its particular folk music.