Kyprinos
Encyclopedia
Kyprinos is a town and a former municipality in the Evros peripheral unit, East Macedonia and Thrace
, Greece
. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Orestiada
, of which it is a municipal unit. Its 2001 population was 1,157 for the village and 2,915 for the municipal unit. Kyprinos is located southwest of Edirne
, Turkey
, west-northwest of Orestiada
, north of Alexandroupoli
and about 5 to 6 km east of Kurdzhali and the Bulgaria
n frontier, where there is a border crossing. Athens
is approximately 1,050 km to the southwest. Komara
is on the other side of the river Ardas.
The Greek name "Kyprinos" means "carp". It is not clear whether that name was given to the village because of the carp
s found in the nearby Ardas river or for some other reasons.
The name is rendered in Bulgarian
as Саръхадър, Sarahadar.
However there is evidence that in the Ancient world there already were settlements in that area. Excavations near the village of Mikri Doxipara - Zoni have brought interesting pieces of ancient Thracian culture (Thrace
) into the light. The Tombs found in that place (8 km from Kyprinos, between Zoni and Mikri Doxipara) are estimated to be from the 1st or 2nd century AD.
The modern municipality was founded in 1998 will be celebrating its 10th anniversary of its founding in 2008.
enters the Kyprinos territory near the border to Bulgaria
close to the village of Galini and reaches from there to the river Evros
(Maritsa), flowing along Kyprinos and Filakio.
The Ardas river composes an important ecosystem for that area and its forest which is growing corresponding to its river bed. It is a biotope of crucial importance on a regional as well as on a national level.
There is a reservoir dam, the Kyprinos Dam, built in 1969 approximately 8 km from Kyprinos of 350 meters width providing resident farmers with water.
East Macedonia and Thrace
East Macedonia and Thrace is one of the thirteen regions of Greece. It consists of the northeastern parts of the country, comprising the eastern part of the region of Macedonia along with the region of Thrace, and the islands of Thasos and Samothrace....
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Orestiada
Orestiada
Orestiada is the northeasternmost and northernmost city of Greece and the second largest city of the Evros peripheral unit of Thrace. The population is around 25,000. Orestiada is only 2 km west of the banks of the Evros, which forms a natural border between Greece and Turkey...
, of which it is a municipal unit. Its 2001 population was 1,157 for the village and 2,915 for the municipal unit. Kyprinos is located southwest 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...
, west-northwest of Orestiada
Orestiada
Orestiada is the northeasternmost and northernmost city of Greece and the second largest city of the Evros peripheral unit of Thrace. The population is around 25,000. Orestiada is only 2 km west of the banks of the Evros, which forms a natural border between Greece and Turkey...
, north of Alexandroupoli
Alexandroupoli
Alexandroupoli , is a city of Greece and the capital of the Evros peripheral unit in Thrace. Named after King Alexander, it is an important port and commercial center of northeastern Greece.-Name:...
and about 5 to 6 km east of Kurdzhali and 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 frontier, where there is a border crossing. Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
is approximately 1,050 km to the southwest. Komara
Komara
Komara is a village in the northwestern part of the Evros Prefecture in Greece located south of Svilengrad, Bulgaria west of Orestiada, north of Soufli and north-northeast of Alexandroupoli. Komara is linked with the road connecting to the GR-51/E85 to the east. Komara is in the municipal unit...
is on the other side of the river Ardas.
Name origin
The Turkish name of Kyprinos was at first "Simavna", after "Sarihadir". Kyprinos was once called "Sarihadir" what means "yellow Hadir". Hadir is Hidir who was an Islamic religious figure. His holiday was celebrated at the same day the Greek Christian Saint St. George's holiday was celebrated (April, 23rd). St. George was and still is the guardian Saint of the village Kyprinos and also its church' name-giver. So the Turkish just interpreted Kyprinos as the village with the yellow church -which indeed was made out of yellow stones- meaning St. George, whom they considered to be something like the religious person whom they knew as Hadir. The church is still there down in the valley and can be visited at any time. When the great flood of the 1920s destroyed every house of the village which at that time was also located in the valley not a single building resisted its power except for that church.The Greek name "Kyprinos" means "carp". It is not clear whether that name was given to the village because of the carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
s found in the nearby Ardas river or for some other reasons.
The name is rendered in Bulgarian
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
as Саръхадър, Sarahadar.
Subdivisions
The municipal unit Kyprinos is subdivided into the following communities (constituent villages in brackets):- Kyprinos (Kyprinos, Galini)
- FylakioFylakioFylakio , older form: -on is a village in the Evros Prefecture of northeast Greece. It is located west of the Turkish city of Edirne; southeast of Ormenio and Svilengrad, Bulgaria; north of Alexandroupoli; and east of Kurdzhali, Bulgaria. Athens, the Greek capital is some 1,100 km southwest. ...
(Fylakio, Keramos, Ammovouno) - ZoniZoni, EvrosZoni is a village in the northwestern part of the Evros Prefecture in Greece located west of Turkey and Edirne, southeast of Ormenio and Svilengrad, Bulgaria, north of Alexandroupoli and east of Kurdzhali, Bulgaria, Athens, the Greek capital is nearly northeast. Zoni is in the municipal unit of...
(Zoni, Chelidona, Mikra Doxipara)
Population
| Year | Town population | Municipality population |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 1,926 | - |
| 1991 | 1,320 | 3,478 |
| 2001 | 1,157 | 2,915 |
Logo and seal
Its logo contains a beautiful blue sky with its setting sun with a forested mountain and hills and foothills. In the middle is the river Arda written in the Greek alphabet, also a swan and two fishes are in the water which is mainly its reservoir. Its rim is coloured yellow and reflects the colour gold. Its Greek form of the municipality is at the bottom along with the Delta-Kappa letter and the founding year. The Greek word for welcome (Kalos Irthate) is at the bottom as well.History
The villages of and around Kyprinos are assumed to have been there for many centuries and what can certainly be said is that in the documents of the late 18th century found in different archives, both Greek and Turkish, Kyprinos itself and most of the nearby villages are already mentioned. Even though it is not clear when the first ones were founded since historical sources are rare and barely explicit.However there is evidence that in the Ancient world there already were settlements in that area. Excavations near the village of Mikri Doxipara - Zoni have brought interesting pieces of ancient Thracian culture (Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
) into the light. The Tombs found in that place (8 km from Kyprinos, between Zoni and Mikri Doxipara) are estimated to be from the 1st or 2nd century AD.
The modern municipality was founded in 1998 will be celebrating its 10th anniversary of its founding in 2008.
The river of Ardas
The river of Ardas or Arda, after a distance of 216 km from its original source in the mountains of RhodopeRhodope 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...
enters the Kyprinos territory near the border to 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...
close to the village of Galini and reaches from there to the river Evros
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...
(Maritsa), flowing along Kyprinos and Filakio.
The Ardas river composes an important ecosystem for that area and its forest which is growing corresponding to its river bed. It is a biotope of crucial importance on a regional as well as on a national level.
There is a reservoir dam, the Kyprinos Dam, built in 1969 approximately 8 km from Kyprinos of 350 meters width providing resident farmers with water.
External links
- Official Website
- Information on the Democritus University of ThraceDemocritus University of ThraceDemocritus University of Thrace was established in July 1973. It is based in Komotini, Greece and has campuses in the Thracian cities of Xanthi, Alexandroupoli and Orestiada. The university accepted the first students in the academic year 1974–1975...
- Kyprinos (municipality) on GTP Travel Pages
- Kyprinos (town) on GTP Travel Pages
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