Dzhendema or Djendema ( ) is a

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...

in the Balkan mountain range in

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

. The Southern Dzhendem, or just Dzhendema, occupies the southern slopes of Mount Botev . It was established as reserve on March 28, 1953. Djendema encompasses 42.2 km2, and is the largest reserve in the mountain and the second largest reserve in

. It is centred on a

granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...

extrusion combined with

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

outcroppings to form a labyrinth of steep slopes; deep, narrow gorges, massive rock cliffs, and huge waterfalls. Djendema Reserve shelters beech and fir forests and large meadows with unique sub-alpine grassy species and communities. Because of its specific geological and climatic conditions, the area is rich in endemic species and rare plants. One could take several days to cross Djendema. The name is derived from Ottoman Turkish 'hell'. There is also so called Northern Dzhendem or the Northern Djendem located on the north slope of Mount Botev . It was declared a reserve on September 30, 1983. It has a total area of 16.1 km2 and is the highest reserve in the Balkan Ranges, encompassing a wild and inaccessible section of the central part of the mountain. The reserve includes the nearly vertical northern slopes, approximately 10 kilometres wide with an average height of 900 metres, looming rock tiers, short and steep watersheds, overhanging cliffs, rock bridges, jaded cornices, deep precipices, numerous waterfalls, as well as grassy terraces. At low altitudes, ancient beech and fir forests cover almost two-thirds of the steeply sloped Northern Djendem. It also contains sub-alpine grassy and forest habitats. Many rare wildlife species have found their last refuge in this impenetrable natural forest, which is home to an unusual community of Siberian juniper, myrtle-leaf rhododendron and

blueberry Blueberries are a widely distributed and widespread group of perennial flowering plants with blue or purple berries. They are classified in the section ''Cyanococcus'' with the genus ''Vaccinium''. Commercial blueberries—both wild (lowbush) ...

, as well as the only known location of Urumov’s campion in the world. The Northern Djendem is home to the Balkan chamois ( alpine goat),

brown bear The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear native to Eurasia and North America. Of the land carnivorans, it is rivaled in size only by its closest relative, the polar bear, which is much less variable in size and slightly bigger on av ...

grey wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...

red deer The red deer (''Cervus elaphus'') is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or Hart (deer), hart, and a female is called a doe or hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Ir ...

roe Roe, ( ) or hard roe, is the fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses, of fish and certain marine animals such as shrimp, scallop, sea urchins and squid. As a seafood, roe is used both as a cooking, c ...

golden eagle The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird of pr ...

peregrine falcon The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known simply as the peregrine, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family (biology), family Falconidae renowned for its speed. A large, Corvus (genus), cro ...

, and

wallcreeper The wallcreeper (''Tichodroma muraria'') is a small passerine bird found throughout the high mountains of the Palearctic from southern Europe to central China. It is the only extant member of both the genus '' Tichodroma'' and the family Tichodr ...

. The two Djendems are alpine objects for many climbers.

External links

Balkan National Park
{{Protected areas of Bulgaria Nature reserves in Bulgaria Biosphere reserves of Bulgaria Balkan mountains Geography of Plovdiv Province Landforms of Plovdiv Province Protected areas established in 1953 1953 establishments in Bulgaria