Sakar () is a low dome-shaped mountain range in southeastern
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 ...
, whose southeasternmost limits extend to
European Turkey. Its highest peak is Vishegrad with an altitude of 856 meters above sea level.
It is an important ornithological area and contains 220 bird species.
Sakar Peak on
Livingston Island
Livingston Island (Russian name ''Smolensk'', ) is an Antarctic island in the Southern Ocean, part of the South Shetland Islands, South Shetlands Archipelago, a group of List of Antarctic and subantarctic islands, Antarctic islands north of the ...
in the
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of List of Antarctic and subantarctic islands, Antarctic islands located in the Drake Passage with a total area of . They lie about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, and between southwest of the n ...
,
Antarctica
Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...
is named after it.
Geography
Sakar is situated between the valley of the river
Maritsa
Maritsa or Maritza ( ), also known as Evros ( ) and Meriç ( ), is a river that runs through the Balkans in Southeast Europe. With a length of , to the southwest that separates with from the northeasternmost reaches of the
Rhodope Mountains
The Rhodopes (; , ; , ''Rodopi''; ) are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, and the largest by area in Bulgaria, with over 83% of its area in the southern part of the country and the remainder in Greece. Golyam Perelik is its highest peak ...
; the valley of the
Sazliyka to the west that forms the boundary with the
Upper Thracian Plain; the valleys of the
Sokolitsa and the
Sinapovska reka, as well as the
Manastirski Heights to the north; the Srem Gorge of the river
Tundzha
The Tundzha ( ; ; ''Tonsus'' in antiquity) is a river in southeastern Bulgaria and northwesternmost Turkey, a left tributary of the Maritsa. With a length of 390 km, of which 350 km are in Bulgaria, it is Maritsa's longest tributary, ...
to the east that separates it from the
Dervent Heights; and to the southeast its limits reach the vicinity of the city of
Edirne
Edirne (; ), historically known as Orestias, Adrianople, is a city in Turkey, in the northwestern part of the Edirne Province, province of Edirne in Eastern Thrace. Situated from the Greek and from the Bulgarian borders, Edirne was the second c ...
in Turkey. Within these boundaries the length of the mountain range in direction northwest–southeast is about 40 km; the width is 20 km at maximum.
The main ridge of Sakar straddles from northwest to southeast, outlined by a succession of flat-topped peaks. Long steep ridges branch off from it in direction southwest and northeast, reaching the river valleys on the edges of the mountain range. The highest point is Vishegrad (856 m), situated in the geographic center of Sakar.
The mountain range was formed during the late
Jurassic
The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately 143.1 Mya. ...
and early
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...
periods, with the modern relief features dating from the late
Tertiary
Tertiary (from Latin, meaning 'third' or 'of the third degree/order..') may refer to:
* Tertiary period, an obsolete geologic period spanning from 66 to 2.6 million years ago
* Tertiary (chemistry), a term describing bonding patterns in organic ch ...
and
Quaternary
The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), as well as the current and most recent of the twelve periods of the ...
periods under the influence of
epeirogenic movement
In geology, epeirogenic movement (from Greek ''epeiros'', land, and ''genesis'', birth) is upheavals or depressions of land exhibiting long wavelengths and little folding apart from broad undulations.
The broad central parts of continents ar ...
s and erosional–depositional processes. Most of the range is a granitic
batholith
A batholith () is a large mass of intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock (also called plutonic rock), larger than in area, that forms from cooled magma deep in the Earth's crust. Batholiths are almost always made mostly of felsic or intermediate ...
surrounded by metamorphic mantle of
gneiss
Gneiss (pronounced ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. This rock is formed under p ...
,
amphibolite
Amphibolite () is a metamorphic rock that contains amphibole, especially hornblende and actinolite, as well as plagioclase feldspar, but with little or no quartz. It is typically dark-colored and dense, with a weakly foliated or schistose ...
s and
schist
Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock generally derived from fine-grained sedimentary rock, like shale. It shows pronounced ''schistosity'' (named for the rock). This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a l ...
s, containing small deposits of polymetallic ores of little commercial importance.
Sakar is in the transitional zone between the temperate continental and the
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...
. It is drained by the rivers Sokolitsa and Glavanska reka, tributaries of the Sazliyka, the Bakardere, Golyama reka, Levchenska reka, Kalamitsa and other left tributaries of the Maritsa, as well as the Sinapovska reka, Bozashka reka and other right tributaries of the Tundzha. The predominant soils are mainly leached
podzolic cinnamon forest soils, highly eroded in places.
Nature
The crest and the slopes are covered with deciduous forests and extensive pastures. The forests are dominated by
xerophyte species, such as pubescent oak (''
Quercus pubescens
''Quercus pubescens'' (Synonym (taxonomy), synonyms ''virgiliana''), commonly known as the downy oak, pubescent oak or Italian oak, is a species of white oak (genus ''Quercus'' sect. ''Quercus'') native to southern Europe and southwest Asia. It ...
''), Austrian oak (''
Quercus cerris'') and Hungarian oak (''
Quercus frainetto
''Quercus frainetto'' (Synonym (taxonomy), synonyms ''Quercus conferta'', ''Quercus farnetto''), commonly known as the Hungarian oak, is a species of oak, native plant, native to southeastern Europe (parts of Italy, the Balkans, parts of Hungary, ...
''), with participation of Oriental hornbeam (''
Carpinus orientalis
''Carpinus orientalis'', known as the Oriental hornbeam, is a species of hornbeam in the birch family Betulaceae, subfamily Coryloideae, native to southeastern Europe and Western Asia. It is quite tolerant of dry conditions, and usually occurs on ...
'') and Jerusalem thorn (''
Paliurus spina-christi''). Along the rivers and streams grow silver poplar (''
Populus alba
''Populus alba'', commonly called silver poplar,Webb, C. J.; Sykes, W. R.; Garnock-Jones, P. J. 1988: Flora of New Zealand. Vol. IV. Naturalised Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Dicotyledons. 4. Christchurch, New Zealand, Botany Division, D.S.I.R. si ...
'') and white willow (''
Salix alba
''Salix alba'', the white willow, is a species of willow native to Europe and western and Central Asia.Meikle, R. D. (1984). ''Willows and Poplars of Great Britain and Ireland''. BSBI Handbook No. 4. .Rushforth, K. (1999). ''Trees of Britain an ...
'').
There are also dispersed xerothermal grass associations, dominated by ''
Bothriochloa ischaemum'', ''
Poa bulbosa
''Poa bulbosa'' is a species of grass known by the common names bulbous bluegrass or bulbous meadow-grass. It is native to Eurasia and North Africa, but it is present practically worldwide as an introduced species. It is widespread in the United ...
'', ''
Chrysopogon gryllus'', etc.
Sakar is an ornithologically important area and is the habitat of 220 bird species, of which 59 are included in the
Red Data Book of the Republic of Bulgaria. The birds of prey are of particular importance. The mountain range hosts the largest populations of
lesser spotted eagle,
eastern imperial eagle,
booted eagle
The booted eagle (''Hieraaetus pennatus'', also classified as ''Aquila pennata'') is a medium-sized mostly migratory bird of prey with a wide distribution in the Palearctic and southern Asia, wintering in the tropics of Africa and Asia, with a ...
,
black kite and
long-legged buzzard in Bulgaria.
It is also an important stronghold for the
greater spotted eagle,
short-toed snake eagle,
red kite
The red kite (''Milvus milvus'') is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other Diurnality, diurnal Bird of prey, raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harrier (bird), harriers. The species currently breeds only i ...
,
Levant sparrowhawk,
Montagu's harrier,
lesser kestrel
The lesser kestrel (''Falco naumanni'') is a small falcon. This species breeds from the Mediterranean across Afghanistan and Central Asia, to China and Mongolia. It is a summer bird migration, migrant, wintering in Africa and Pakistan and someti ...
and
saker falcon. Other birds of high conservation relevance include
great spotted cuckoo,
corn crake
The corn crake, corncrake or landrail (''Crex crex'') is a bird in the rail family. It breeds in Europe and Asia as far east as western China, and migrates to Africa for the Northern Hemisphere's winter. It is a medium-sized crake with buff ...
,
chukar partridge
The chukar partridge (''Alectoris chukar''), or simply chukar, is a Palearctic upland Upland game, gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. It has been considered to form a superspecies complex along with the rock partridge, Philby's partrid ...
,
black stork,
tawny pipit,
calandra lark,
greater short-toed lark
The greater short-toed lark (''Calandrella brachydactyla'') is a small passerine bird. The current scientific name is from Ancient Greek. The genus name, ''Calandrella'', is a diminutive of ''kalandros'', the calandra lark, and ''brachydactila' ...
,
masked shrike,
red-backed shrike
The red-backed shrike (''Lanius collurio'') is a carnivorous passerine bird and member of the shrike family, Laniidae. Its breeding range stretches from Western Europe east to central Russia. It is migratory and winters in the eastern areas of ...
,
Eurasian stone-curlew,
olive-tree warbler,
eastern Orphean warbler,
Syrian woodpecker
The Syrian woodpecker (''Dendrocopos syriacus'') is a member of the woodpecker family, the Picidae.
Taxonomy
The Syrian woodpecker was first described as ''Picus syriacus'' by Wilhelm Hemprich and Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg in 1833, from ...
,
grey-headed woodpecker, etc.
The warm climate of Sakar is favourable for reptiles. Threatened species under protection include
Hermann's tortoise,
Greek tortoise
Greek tortoise (''Testudo graeca''), also known as the spur-thighed tortoise or Moorish tortoise, is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. It is a medium sized herbivorous testudinae, widely distributed in the Mediterranean basin, M ...
,
European pond turtle
The European pond turtle (''Emys orbicularis''), also called Common name, commonly the European pond terrapin and the European pond tortoise, is a species of long-living freshwater turtle in the Family (biology), family Emydidae. The species is E ...
,
Balkan terrapin,
javelin sand boa,
blotched snake,
Pallas's glass lizard and others.
History
The mountain range has been inhabited since ancient times. There are numerous
dolmen
A dolmen, () or portal tomb, is a type of single-chamber Megalith#Tombs, megalithic tomb, usually consisting of two or more upright megaliths supporting a large flat horizontal capstone or "table". Most date from the Late Neolithic period (4000 ...
s and megalithic structures dated from the second millennium BC.
During the Antiquity it was part of various
Thracian
The Thracians (; ; ) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Southeast Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied the area that today is shared between north-eastern Greece, ...
states, including the
Odrysian kingdom, and the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...
. In the Middle Ages it often changed hands between the
Bulgarian and the
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...
s, before it was conquered by the Ottomans in the 14th century. From that period are the remains of several fortifications, the best preserved being the
Matochina Fortress in its southeastern limits overlooking the valley of the Tundzha; Bulgarian jewelry dated from the 9-10th centuries have been excavated in the mountain range.
During the
Ottoman rule Sakar was a refuge for Bulgarian ''
hayduks'', including the notorious
Indzhe Voyvoda. After the
Liberation of Bulgaria
The Liberation of Bulgaria is the historical process as a result of the Bulgarian Revival. In Bulgarian historiography, the liberation of Bulgaria refers to those events of the Tenth Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) that led to the re-establishme ...
in 1878 the northern part of Sakar was included in the
reestablished country. The remainder was annexed by the
Kingdom of Bulgaria
The Tsardom of Bulgaria (), also known as the Third Bulgarian Tsardom (), usually known in English as the Kingdom of Bulgaria, or simply Bulgaria, was a constitutional monarchy in Southeastern Europe, which was established on , when the Bulgaria ...
in the aftermath of the
First Balkan War
The First Balkan War lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and involved actions of the Balkan League (the Kingdoms of Kingdom of Bulgaria, Bulgaria, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia, Kingdom of Greece, Greece and Kingdom of Montenegro, Montenegro) agai ...
in 1912–1913.
The last border adjustment in the region was under the
Bulgarian–Ottoman convention of 1915, when Bulgaria gained several villages in the southeasternmost part of Sakar.
Settlements and transport
Administratively, Sakar lies in
Stara Zagora
Stara Zagora (, ) is a city in Bulgaria, and the administrative capital of Stara Zagora Province. It is located in the Upper Thracian Plain, near the cities of Kazanlak, Plovdiv, and Sliven. Its population is 121,582 making it the sixth largest c ...
and
Haskovo Provinces. There are one town,
Topolovgrad, and 58 villages in the mountain range and along its foothills, situated in
Galabovo Municipality of Stara Zagora and the municipalities of
Lyubimets,
Svilengrad
Svilengrad (; ; ) is a town in Haskovo Province, south-central Bulgaria, situated at the tripoint of Bulgaria, Turkey, and Greece. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Svilengrad Municipality.
Geography
Svilengrad is close to the ro ...
,
Simeonovgrad,
Topolovgrad and
Harmanli in Haskovo Province. Its slopes are favourable for
viticulture
Viticulture (, "vine-growing"), viniculture (, "wine-growing"), or winegrowing is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine ...
. Apart from grapes, crops of importance include tobacco, cherries, walnuts and almonds. There is some industry, mainly machine building and food processing.
Sakar is traversed by several transport routes of international and local importance. A section of the
Maritsa motorway (A4) linking Central Europe and Asia runs along the whole length of its southwestern foothills between
Harmanli and
Generalovo. In direction north–south between
Madrets and
Svilengrad
Svilengrad (; ; ) is a town in Haskovo Province, south-central Bulgaria, situated at the tripoint of Bulgaria, Turkey, and Greece. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Svilengrad Municipality.
Geography
Svilengrad is close to the ro ...
in its western part passes a 51.4 km stretch of the second class
II-55 road Debelets–
Nova Zagora–Svilengrad; In direction southwest–northeast between Harmanli and
Knyazhevo runs a 61 km section of the second class
II-76 road Harmanli–
Topolovgrad–
Elhovo
Elhovo ( ) is a Bulgarian town in Yambol Province, located on the left bank of the Tundzha river, between Strandzha and Sakar Mountain, Sakar mountains. Second largest city in the region after Jambol, the city is located at 36 km from border ...
. It is also traversed by several third class roads, namely a 21.8 km section of III-559
Polski Gradets–Topolovgrad–
Ustrem in direction northwest–southeast, as well as the whole length of the 40.3 km III-761 road Knyazhevo–
Matochina in direction north–south and the full length of the 21.4 km III-809 road
Lyubimets–Golyamata Zvezda in direction southwest–northeast.
Citations
References
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{{Authority control
Landforms of Haskovo Province
Mountain ranges of Bulgaria