Popovo Lake
Encyclopedia
The Popovo Lake is the largest of the eleven Popovo Lakes. The lake
and its vicinity is among the most popular places for summer tourism in the Pirin National Park
. The lake is situated at the bottom of the Popovski Cirque and is surrounded by the peaks Sivriya, Dzhano, Kralev dvor, Momin dvor and Dzhengal
.
The lake is the largest and the deepest in Pirin
, and has the largest volume as well. Its surface area is 123,600 m², which makes it fourth in Bulgaria
by total area; it is 29.5 metres deep, which is second in the country after the Okoto lake in Rila
; it is 480 m long and 336 m wide. Is volume is around 1,270,000 m³. The lake is situated at an altitude of 2,234 m. It takes water from rainfall, snowfall and two tiny springs which pour into the southern end of the lake. The biggest amount of water can be observed in the late spring, which is due to melting of the snow on the surrounding peaks.
The water pours out of the lake with a small steep stream which goes to the seven Fish Popovski Lakes in the lower parts of the cirque. Thus one of the main tributaries of the Mesta
river is created. The area around the lake is dotted with meadows and pine-scrub.
In Bulgarian the name of the lake literary means the Lake of the Priest. There are two legends about it origin. According to the more popular one, a priest threw himself into the water because the Turks had violated his daughter. His cap surfaced and made the little islet in the middle of the lake. The other legend suggests that after the Christianization of Bulgaria
in the 9th century, a priest decided to climb the Pirin mountain and expel the Slavic
god Perun
. He found him but Perun was enraged by his audacity and threw him into the lake. Again, his cap emerged from the water and formed the islet.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
and its vicinity is among the most popular places for summer tourism in the Pirin National Park
Pirin National Park
Pirin National Park is a World Heritage national park that encompasses the larger part of the Pirin Mountains in the southwest of Bulgaria. It has an area of about and lies at an altitude from ....
. The lake is situated at the bottom of the Popovski Cirque and is surrounded by the peaks Sivriya, Dzhano, Kralev dvor, Momin dvor and Dzhengal
Dzhengal
Dzhangal is a peak on the Bulgarian Pirin mountain range. It is situated in one of the external ridges of the mountain, the Polejan Ridge, between the Dzhangal Gate and Momin Dvor Peak and towers to the west of the Popovo Lake. It is 2,730 m high, which places it in the top 10 peaks in the range...
.
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...
, and has the largest volume as well. Its surface area is 123,600 m², which makes it fourth in 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...
by total area; it is 29.5 metres deep, which is second in the country after the Okoto lake in 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...
; it is 480 m long and 336 m wide. Is volume is around 1,270,000 m³. The lake is situated at an altitude of 2,234 m. It takes water from rainfall, snowfall and two tiny springs which pour into the southern end of the lake. The biggest amount of water can be observed in the late spring, which is due to melting of the snow on the surrounding peaks.
The water pours out of the lake with a small steep stream which goes to the seven Fish Popovski Lakes in the lower parts of the cirque. Thus one of the main tributaries of the Mesta
Mesta
The Mesta was a powerful association of sheep holders in the medieval Kingdom of Castile....
river is created. The area around the lake is dotted with meadows and pine-scrub.
In Bulgarian the name of the lake literary means the Lake of the Priest. There are two legends about it origin. According to the more popular one, a priest threw himself into the water because the Turks had violated his daughter. His cap surfaced and made the little islet in the middle of the lake. The other legend suggests that after the Christianization of Bulgaria
Christianization of Bulgaria
The Christianization of Bulgaria was the process by which 9th-century medieval Bulgaria converted to Christianity. It was influenced by the khan's shifting political alliances with the kingdom of the East Franks and the Byzantine Empire, as well as his reception by the Pope of the Roman Catholic...
in the 9th century, a priest decided to climb the Pirin mountain and expel the Slavic
Slavic mythology
Slavic mythology is the mythological aspect of the polytheistic religion that was practised by the Slavs before Christianisation.The religion possesses many common traits with other religions descended from the Proto-Indo-European religion....
god Perun
Perun
In Slavic mythology, Perun is the highest god of the pantheon and the god of thunder and lightning. His other attributes were the fire, mountains, the oak, iris, eagle, firmament , horses and carts, weapons and war...
. He found him but Perun was enraged by his audacity and threw him into the lake. Again, his cap emerged from the water and formed the islet.